Supermarket shoppers save nearly 500,000 meals from going to waste

It is thanks to the supermarket chain’s initiative with the world’s largest surplus food platform, Too Good To Go, which launched in stores nationwide back in February 2023.

Shoppers across the West Midlands have so far purchased 38,200 Too Good To Go bags at their local Aldi stores, the equivalent to £256,200 in savings, making it the third highest ranking region in the country.

In Staffordshire, 9,500 Too Good To Go bags have been bought at stores amounting to £64,000 in savings.

The bags contain a range of grocery products that are approaching their sell-by or use-by dates and are offered at a reduced price, costing £3.30 each for at least £10 worth of food.

So far, the initiative has helped to avoid 128,800 kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions in the region, contributing to a total of 1,500 tonnes avoided and more than half a million meals saved across the UK since the initiative began.

Liz Fox, national sustainability director at Aldi UK, said: “It is amazing to see the sheer number of our customers across the West Midlands that have made the most of our Too Good To Go Surprise Bags since launching last year.

“This partnership not only allows us to reduce food waste and demonstrate our commitment to being a sustainable retailer, but also enables our customers to access quality food whilst saving even more on their shop.”

Aldi recently announced the extension of the collection window for its Too Good To Go bags, with customers now able to secure a bag up to 24 hours ahead of the collection time via an app.