Aldi has announced an "important" change affecting stores across the UK as part of its pledge to cut down on plastic waste.

The budget supermarket chain will be removing plastic shrink wrap from its multipacks of its Corale baked beans in a bid to further reduce plastic waste.

The retailer says it will save 78 tonnes of single-use plastic from going to landfill each year, while still offering shoppers a multipack discount when they buy four tins. 

Aldi is the UK’s fifth largest supermarket and competes among the top six supermarkets: Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Lidl.

The Germain retailers says it will also trial the removal of the outer plastic wrap for its sweetcorn mini packs in a number of stores this summer.

If successful, this will remove a further 24 tonnes of plastic from circulation per year, meaning Aldi customers will be able to buy more of their everyday items plastic-free.

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Aldi reveals reason for ‘increasingly important’ change

Richard Gorman, Plastics and Packaging Director at Aldi, said: “Removing unnecessary plastic from our multipack of beans is another step forward in our commitment to reduce plastic across our ranges.

“We know it’s becoming increasingly important to our customers that their everyday products are environmentally-friendly, and we’re pleased that this move will help them shop more sustainably.”

These changes are the latest in Aldi’s efforts to reduce and remove unnecessary plastic from its products.

The supermarket has pledged to halve the volume of plastic packaging it uses by 2025, which will see it remove 74,000 tonnes of plastic from circulation.

It is also on track for all its own-label product packaging to be recyclable, reusable or compostable by the end of 2022, and branded products sold at Aldi by 2025.