Aldi has announced a huge change to its own-brand crisp products - and it’s good news for shoppers.

The supermarket is introducing recycled plastic to its own-label crisp packaging. Aldi will now use a minimum of 35% recycled content across its Specially Selected Hand Cooked range, which has already rolled out nationwide. Shoppers will also start to see the new packaging across its own-label popcorn and lentil chips toward the end of the year.

The change is expected to eliminate 78 tonnes of new, unused plastic each year, and will help Aldi drive forward with its plan to introduce 50% recycled content into its plastic packaging by 2025.

Luke Emery, Plastics and Packaging Director at Aldi, said: "At Aldi, we are continuously making changes when it comes to reducing plastic waste, and we know how important this is to our customers too. Increasing the recycled content in our crisp packaging is just one way we are helping our customers to reduce their environmental impact, with all these little changes adding up to make an even bigger difference.”

It comes after Aldi introduced 100% recycled plastic on some of its own-brand washing up liquid bottles last month, while in April it was the first supermarket to move to 100% recycled plastic for its own-brand soft drinks and bottled water range in England and Wales.

The supermarket has also replaced the plastic and card packaging with a cardboard alternative, to make it easier for people to recycle. The change applies to Aldi two-packs of Dentitex Soft and Whitening toothbrushes. The change will help remove an estimated 17 tonnes of plastic packaging per year.

It comes after Aldi announced a trial of double toilet rolls across select stores. This has reduced the size of the packaging and will help to remove 60 tonnes of plastic packaging a year if it’s rolled out to all stores.