ALDI shoppers have been left baffled over a change to wine bottles that’s been branded “ridiculous” and left shoppers double-checking the date.
The discount favourite has revealed a new lineup of wine that will come in unusual packaging.
Traditional glass bottles have been replaced on two Aldi own-brand labels with PAPER in a move the supermarket has branded a first in the UK.
The Cambalala South African Shiraz and Cambalala South African Sauvignon Blanc, both £7.99, will hit stores from March 18.
They are made from 94% recycled paper board on the outside and a food-grade pouch that holds the wine inside.
The bottles are fully recyclable, with the added benefit that they are five times lighter at 83g so are easier to transport.
Aldi says this means it can remove more than 39 tonnes of bottle weight in total, reducing the carbon impact of transporting the wine to stores.
But the move has left some people baffled and asking if it’s April 1, (which is April Fools Day) and saying “I had to check the date there”.
“Just think, if this had been a few years ago on April 1, no one would have fallen for it. Now it’s a reality, that’s pretty cool,” said another.
Others were left confused over the move though, which is designed to be more eco-friendly.
“Ridiculous” said one shopper, while another asked why to use paper when glass is 100% recyclable.
Meanwhile, others joked they “don’t care what it’s made from as long as there’s 13% good quality Aldi wine in it” and that they don’t care as it’s “going straight in my large wine glass”.
Julie Ashfield, managing director of buying at Aldi in the UK, said: “Shoppers are striving to become more sustainable in their everyday lives, looking for small ways to make a big difference for our planet.
“Our buying teams are continuously thinking of how we can evolve our ranges to offer greater value and greener choices.
“We are proud to be the first supermarket to launch an own-brand paper bottle, helping to drive sustainable change.”
Dirty pizza boxes – anything with excess food, drink or ingrained stains like grease cannot generally be recycled.
Plastic shopping bags – the bags take hundreds of years to decompose because the plastic is not biodegradable.
Takeaway coffee cups – many are made using a combination of paper and plastic to keep heat in and prevent leaking, so don’t belong in the green recycling bin.
Polystyrene foam – anything made from polystyrene should not go in the recycling bin as the material is not biodegradable.
Bin bags – black bin liners should not go in the recycling bins – they can’t be recycled.
Aerosol cans – whether they contain whipped cream or hazardous liquid like spray paint, the pressurised air inside the cans makes them difficult to recycle, ans should usually go in your normal bin.
Crisp and sweet packets – anything that is classed as “multi-layer flexible packaging” can’t be recycled, so if you see this label, don’t put it in the green bin.
Bubble wrap – while some plastics can be recycled, the particular kind of plastic bubble wrap is made from cannot because it can tangle in recycling machines.
As well as the new style bottles, Aldi is reducing the size of the labels on its Grapevine range with the goal of getting them on all its core wines by 2026.
The paper bottles are made by a company called Frugalpac, which has also launched the packaging with wine brands.
Craft wine producer When in Rome launched the first paper bottles in supermarkets, when it hit the shelves of Sainsbury’s last year.
Of course, you can buy wine in boxes which are made of cardboard, but the pouches inside are often made of harder to recycle plastics.
Aldi isn’t the only one making the switch to paper in a bid to help the environment.
Vodka brand Absolut launched a paper bottle in an effort to be more environmentally friendly last year as part of a trial.
Paper tubes of Pringles hit the supermarket shelves at the start of the year.
Tesco and One Stop shops will have them initially, before they replace the traditional can that has a steel base.
Quality Street ditched its classic foil and plastic wrappers for paper after 86 years.
While it saved waste from landfill, some fans have been left disappointed by the lack of Christmas dazzle.
