Aldi South

Aldi received an overall score of 'D' in Consumer Focus's 2009 Green to the Core report, which rates the UK's top nine supermarkets on how well they inform consumers about sustainability issues and help them make more sustainable choices. The report uses four environmental indicators: climate change, sustainable farming, sustainable fishing, and waste and recycling. Aldi "scored highly in some areas - 100 per cent closed door freezers and a high proportion of sustainable content in packaging. However, let down by lack of information for consumers in many areas and could do better in the amount of UK in-season produce."
Source: Consumer Focus (2009)

This 2009 report by SUDWIND (part of the German Clean Clothes Campaign) uncovers massive rights violations in Chinese factories that supply special bargains to Aldi. 'The mostly female employees worked up to 91 hours per week and yet were hardly able to make a living from their meager wages. The work load is enormous, and mistakes are being punished by fines. Fundamental labour and women's rights such as the right to maternity leave and to freedom of association are being suppressed.'
Source: Clean Clothes Campaign (2009)

Named in the Clean Clothes Campaign 'Cashing In' report on five top global retailers: Carrefour, Walmart, Tesco, Aldi, and Lidl, highlighting poor working conditions where these discounters produce their clothes and taking the companies to task for failing to take sufficient action to address these problems.
Source: Clean Clothes Campaign (2009)

This 2011 report by Pesticide Action Network UK compares the top nine UK supermarkets' policies on pesticides. Aldi came equal last in the report, after failing to make any progress despite being the lowest performer in 2009. [Listed under Information due to age of report]
Source: Pesticide Action Network UK (2011)

As a discount chain store, they have been criticised for running smaller retailers out of business. Bavarian dairy farmers picketed Aldi stores, which they blame for a ruinous 15% plunge in milk prices since 2001. [listed as Information due to age of article]
Source: news (2004)

Greenpeace launched its "Detox My Fashion" campaign in 2011 to expose the direct links between global clothing brands, their suppliers and toxic water pollution around the world. As a result, many companies, including this one, committed to Greenpeace's Detox Program.
Source: Greenpeace (2018)

As listed on the We Mean Business website, this company has committed to the following climate action initiatives: adopt a science-based emissions reduction target.
Source: We Mean Business (2021)

In 2022 after more than 170 nations backed a historic UN resolution to end plastic pollution, global businesses across the plastics value chain, financial institutions, and NGOs came together to announce a common vision for an effective and ambitious Global Treaty to End Plastic Pollution. The vision will form the basis for future policy engagements with governments through a newly launched Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty which will be convened by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and WWF. This company has endorsed the vision statement of the treaty.
Source: Global Plastics Treaty (2022)

This retailer has committed to being a fur free retailer, as recognised by the International Fur Free Retailer Program.
Source: Fur Free Retailer (2019)

The Apparel and Footwear Supply Chain Transparency Pledge (Transparency Pledge) helps demonstrate apparel and footwear companies' commitment towards greater transparency in their manufacturing supply chain. Transparency of a company's manufacturing supply chain better enables a company to collaborate with civil society in identifying, assessing, and avoiding actual or potential adverse human rights impacts. This is a critical step that strengthens a company's human rights due diligence. This company has published some supplier factory information, but falls short of the Pledge standard.
Source: Transparency Pledge (2019)

The Material Change Index (MCI) is a voluntary benchmark that tracks the apparel and textiles sector's progress toward more sustainable materials sourcing (cotton, polyester, nylon, manmade cellulosics, wool, down and leather), as well as alignment with global efforts like the Sustainable Development Goals and the transition to a circular economy. This company was rated "Maturing", the second highest performance band.
Source: Textile Exchange (2020)

This company is a member of the Leather Working Group, a multi-stakeholder group who's objective is to develop and maintain a protocol that assesses the compliance and environmental performance of tanners and promotes sustainable and appropriate environmental business practices within the leather industry.
Source: Leather Working Group (2022)

This company is a signatory to the US Plastics Pact, a collaborative effort organized by The Recycling Partnership and the World Wildlife Fund, launched as part of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's global Plastics Pact network to unify diverse public-private stakeholders across the plastics value chain to rethink the way we design, use, and reuse plastics, to create a path forward to realize a circular economy for plastic in the United States. In line with the Ellen McArthur Foundation's vision of a circular economy for plastics, which unites more than 850+ organizations, the US Plastics Pact brings together companies, government entities, NGOs, researchers, and other stakeholders to work collectively toward scalable solutions tailored to the unique needs and challenges within the U.S. landscape, through vital knowledge sharing and coordinated action.
Source: US Plastics Pact (2020)

This company is a member of the Better Cotton Initiative, a voluntary initiative which encourages the adoption of better management practices in cotton cultivation to achieve measurable reductions in key environmental impacts, while improving social and economic benefits for cotton farmers, small and large, worldwide.
Source: Better Cotton Initiative (2022)

This company is a member of the amfori Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI), an industry-driven movement that aims to monitor and assess workplace standards across the global supply chain. Participating companies are expected to follow a code of conduct which has 11 principles including no bonded labour, no child labour, fair renumeration, decent working hours and ethical business behavior.
Source: amfori (2023)

In 2022 Oxfam analysed leading supermarket chains policies and practices on human rights in their supply chains. Oxfam asked whether supermarkets are transparent and accountable in the ways they ensure that workers' rights are respected, small-scale farmers are prosperous and the women who produce our food are treated fairly. This company scored 56%.
Source: Oxfam (2022)

Business & Human Rights Resource Centre digital platform presents news and allegations relating to the human rights impact of over 20,000 companies. Their enhanced Company Dashboards also include financial information, key data points based on corporate policies, and scores from prominent civil society benchmarks. Follow the link and use the search function to view this company's dashboard.
Source: BHRRC (2022)

The 2021 Food and Agriculture Benchmark assessed 350 keystone companies across the entirety of the food system, from farm to fork. It covers three dimensions where transformation is needed: nutrition, environment and social inclusion. This company ranked #51/350, with a total score of 37.2/100.
Source: World Benchmarking Alliance (2021)

The 2022 Fashion Transparency Index reviewed 250 of the world's largest fashion brands and retailers and ranked them according to how much they disclose about their human rights and environmental policies, practices and impacts. Brands owned by this company scored 30%, signifying it is doing a bit more than the others when it comes to having policies and commitments in place and auditing and reporting activities, but could be doing more. The average score was 24% and the highest score was 78%.
Source: Fashion Revolution (2022)

This 2010 Der Spiegel article explores "What Makes the Aldi Discount Empire Tick".
Source: Der Spiegel (2010)