People will start to see the change take place across stores throughout the summer and the rest of 2025
Aldi has announced its plans to make a change to its own-label beers to reduce something unnecessary. The change will take place in all of the supermarket’s stores across the UK – totalling more than 1,000 locations in England, Scotland and Wales.
The UK’s fourth largest supermarket is introducing Snap Pack packaging on its own-label beers – a move expected to eliminate 412 tonnes of packaging per year. This innovative format uses glue to hold the cans together, replacing the traditional cardboard sleeves.
The switch will be rolled out across stores in 2025 and applies to four packs of Aldi’s Galahad, Sainte Etienne, and Brasserie beers. Right now, each multipack comes with a cardboard sleeve keeping the cans in place – but that is all about to change.
Luke Emery, national sustainability director at Aldi UK, said: “We know our customers care about the environment, and so do we. That’s why we’re constantly challenging ourselves to find smarter, more sustainable ways to package our products. By switching to Snap Pack packaging, we’re taking meaningful action to prevent waste – without compromising on quality or convenience. It’s a small change that makes a big impact.”
The initiative forms part of Aldi’s broader sustainability commitments. Earlier this year, the supermarket partnered with sustainable wine brand The Hidden Sea to launch its own-label Chardonnay. For every bottle purchased, the equivalent of 10 plastic bottles is removed from the ocean.
What is Snap Pack packaging?
Cardboard beer packaging is generally considered more environmentally friendly than plastic, but it’s not without its drawbacks. While cardboard is biodegradable and recyclable, it can still contribute to greenhouse gas emissions if not managed properly, and its production can also lead to deforestation
Pioneered by Carlsberg, the core idea behind Snap Pack is to minimise or eliminate plastic completely. Instead of plastic rings or shrink wrap, the cans are bonded together with a strong, yet easily separable, adhesive.
This reduction in plastic usage contributes to a smaller environmental footprint, cutting down on waste and reducing reliance on fossil fuel-based packaging materials. While reducing plastic, Snap Pack maintains the ease of handling and separation of individual cans when needed.
In other Aldi news, shoppers have been gearing up for another round of SpecialBuy products that were refreshed on Thursday, July 10. This wave of products includes a £69.99 gas-powered pizza oven with a matching £12.99 set of tools needed to cook and serve pizza creations at home.
On top of this, the viral Roosters chicken range has been inspired by a well-known restaurant chain with items sold for as little as 79p. Shoppers can grab a selection of southern fried chicken goodies suitable for air frying – like burgers, thighs, drumsticks and popcorn – as well as tasty side dishes like fries, gravy, sweetcorn and coleslaw.
