23 July 2022
By Tom Collins
tom@TheCork.ie
€1,000 per month to be donated to charity partner Barnardos
ALDI has launched its latest reverse vending machine at its Mallow store in Co. Cork. ALDI’s newest unit is capable of collecting and storing up to 9,000 plastic bottles or 24,000 aluminium cans at any given time.
The trial follows the success of ALDI’s first reverse vending machine in its Mitchelstown, Cork store. The recycling initiative comes with a twist, with a total of €1,000 per month being donated to ALDI’s charity partner Barnardos.
From today, ALDI’s Cork customers are encouraged to return PET plastic bottles (up to three litres in size) and aluminium drink cans to the reverse vending machine in ALDI’s Mallow store.
ALDI’s Mitchelstown reverse vending machine has experienced great demand since its introduction in February. Almost 12,500 PET plastic bottles and aluminium drink cans have been recycled through the unit, with a monthly donation of €1,000 going to Barnardos since its launch.
Commenting, Colin Breslin, Regional Managing Director, ALDI Ireland said: “Following the success of our initial reverse vending machine at our Mitchelstown store, we are delighted to install another machine in our Mallow store. Our new Cork-based machine has even larger capacity, meaning we can make a greater impact on the environment and with our charity partner Barnardos. Through this initiative, we’re encouraging our customers to give to Barnardos, which is doing amazing work with vulnerable children and families, while also helping to improve the environment.”
Barnardos CEO Suzanne Connolly welcomed the donations from the initiative: “The €1,000 monthly donation from ALDI will help make a real difference to the vulnerable children and families we work with across the country. Barnardos has been supporting children and families for 60 years, and we know that the funds generated from this scheme will have a real positive impact on the lives of children across Ireland.”
ALDI established a long-term partnership with Barnardos in 2020 with the aim of raising €1 million for the children’s charity. The supermarket has raised over €710,000 for Barnardos to date through a series of exciting initiatives including the launch of its first cookbook ‘Home’ alongside the IRFU, with all profits going towards Barnardos’ Early Years and Family Support Services.
ALDI also partners with the national charity FoodCloud, providing surplus food to those who need it most. To date, ALDI has donated 2.35 million meals to FoodCloud, equating to a saving of almost €3 million while also benefiting the environment, saving an equivalent of almost 3.2 million tonnes of CO2.
ALDI has been recognised for its fantastic work in sustainability through a number of recent award wins, including being awarded the title of ‘Green Retailer’ at the 2022 Green Awards, and being voted Ireland’s Most Sustainable Supermarket by Irish Shoppers in the Ireland RepTrak Sustainability Index 2021.