Aldi is celebrating a significant milestone in its partnership with surplus food and household products redistributor, Company Shop Group.
In the past year, Britain’s fourth-largest supermarket has now donated an impressive two and a half million meals from its Regional Distribution Centres across the UK through Company Shop Group, saving an estimated 1,000 tonnes of food from going to waste.
Aldi first began working with Company Shop Group in October 2015 and stepped things up to the next level in January 2023, by announcing that it was extending its partnership so that excess stock from Aldi’s network of Regional Distribution Centres would be made available to the Group’s Community Shop stores across the UK.
Community Shop is an award winning social enterprise that supports 9,000 members and their families in some of the UK’s most deprived communities by offering access to discounted products and reinvesting the revenue raised into its Community Kitchens and Hubs.
In just one year, the partnership has supported over 2,800 people through its Community Hub development programmes, which provides individuals and communities with the tools they need to live well and skills to get them back into work. It’s also enabled over 2,100 people to attend cooking lessons at the Community Kitchen’s Cook Clubs, where they can learn how to prepare nutritious family meals on a budget.
Aldi’s support for Community Shop’s Christmas lunches last year also saw 1,800 members come together for its biggest ever Christmas celebration, with ingredients for the festive three-course meals provided by the supermarket.
Liz Fox, National Sustainability Director at Aldi UK, said: “It’s incredible to look back at the results we’ve achieved from just one year with Company Shop Group – from saving tonnes of food from going to waste to supporting thousands of families in need. We are committed to making good quality food accessible to everyone. After all, it’s a right, not a privilege.
“We’re very excited to see what lies ahead for the partnership as we get closer to our new goal of reducing food waste in our own operations by 90% before 2030*.”
Gary Stott, Executive Chairman of Community Shop, added: “We are very proud of our partnership with Aldi and its commitment to helping prevent waste and support communities.
“The scheme has helped us deliver a significant social impact, whilst also allowing us to carry out vital work to save the planet from unnecessary waste.”
To find out more about Company Shop Group, visit: www.companyshopgroup.co.uk
*Compared to a baseline year of 2017. Food waste as a percentage of sales – otherwise known as food waste intensity.
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