Aldi is using artificial intelligence to verify and track the flexible plastic packaging collected from the public for recycling via its front-of-store collection points.
The AI tool eco2Veritas – which was developed by Greenback Recycling Technologies – allows the supermarket to track and certify the amount of flexible plastic collected, taking it right through the recycling journey to end product.
It shows how much of the plastic collected is sorted and into which polymers and finally, how much is reprocessed and turned into other products.
Once the flexible plastic is tracked and certified as recycled by the AI tool, Aldi receives funding from the Flexible Plastic Fund (FPF) which supports the recycling of this challenging material.
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Aldi plastic and packaging director Luke Emery said: “We are committed to tackling plastic waste.
“We know this is an issue that matters to our customers too, which is why we’re working with the Flexible Plastic Fund to further improve the recycling of flexible plastics collected in our stores.”
Aldi collected 300 tonnes of flexible plastic packaging from customers in 2023.
The scheme follows a similar move by the retailer, which trialled using invisible UV tags to track the amount of milk and water bottles being recycled across the UK last year.
