Climate activist removes plastic packaging from items and leaves it all in Derbyshire Aldi

Jackie Hopkinson, a member of Climate Action North East Derbyshire, recently did her weekly shop in Clay Cross Aldi and removed all the plastic packaging from her items – leaving it for the store to deal with.

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She posted a note which said: “I am leaving my plastic packaging today as I object to its excessive use in your store and the lack of alternatives.

“Plastic pollution is a major risk to the health of the earth and all living creatures.

“Please contact your head office and request a radical rethink on packaging policy and a review of alternatives.”

She also had a conversation with the shop manager who promised to let the company’s head office know of her actions.

Jackie said: “I’ve been writing letters, talking to staff and campaigning about plastic for years.

“I can’t see it has helped one bit – so now I’m taking matters into my own hands and leaving all the plastic packaging behind.

“It’s time more people took action and showed the supermarkets they don't want all this over packaging.

“The retailers must stop using so much plastic now for the sake of our planet and future generations.”

Jackie has vowed to continue unwrapping her shopping each time she visits a supermarket – and is calling on other people to do the same.

An Aldi spokesperson said: “At Aldi we are committed to further reducing plastic throughout our stores and have pledged to halve our plastic packaging footprint by 2025.

“We have already removed over 7,400 tonnes of plastic from across our range, including banning single-use plastic bags for loose fruit and veg, removing plastic lids from yoghurt and cream pots and removing all shrink-wrapping from own-label multipack soft drinks.”

According to the Government, in the UK it is estimated that five million tonnes of plastic is used every year, nearly half of which is packaging.

Plastic waste often does not decompose and can last centuries in landfill.

It can also end up as litter in the natural environment, which in turn can pollute soils, rivers and oceans, and harm the creatures that inhabit them.

Climate Action North East Derbyshire can be found on Facebook and Instagram or contacted at [email protected].

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