Although it’s a move to help tackle a global crisis, Aldi customers are less than impressed with a packaging change on a lunchbox favourite.
A photo of a child’s juice box has sparked an unexpected war of words among social media users over a controversial detail.
The must-have school lunch box recently got a makeover at Aldithe supermarket replacing its plastic straws with a paper version.
But when an Australian mum took to Facebook to praise the Westcliff Tropical Fruit Drink brand’s decision, her post was inundated with angry parents who blasted the eco-friendly alternative.
“No plastic, paper straws. Good on you Aldi,” the New South Wales-based woman wrote in the Aldi Fans Facebook group.
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However, his enthusiasm hasn’t been met with the same response from many, as some have called the new paper straw ‘awful’, saying it’s getting ‘soggy’ and ‘useless’ as it goes on. that the liquid passes through.
“I understand the desire to get rid of plastic. But the texture of these is awful,” one person wrote.
“We found out today. My son said, “Yuck, that’s disgusting.” I’m going to have to get some plastic ones,” said another.
“I can’t stand paper straws – they’re useless,” wrote one mother.
The reviews continued with many declaring that “paper straws suck” and adding, “I won’t buy them now.”
Poppers are usually sold in UHT cartons, cardboard containers with a thin layer of plastic on the outside and inside of the carton to prevent liquid seeping through.
This form of packaging also has a very thin layer of foil inside to keep the contents fresh for long periods of time.
For this reason, some argued that switching to paper straws made no sense to them when the product was not plastic-free.
“UHT cartons cannot be recycled. So replacing the plastic straw with a paper straw is like shitting your pants and changing your shirt,” one explained.
“Aren’t these boxes lined with plastic?” Anyone seriously concerned about plastic straws really should use a reusable drink bottle,” another agreed.
Many supported the move, calling those who were unhappy with the change “lazy”.
“I love how people keep talking about it. It’s just pure laziness. If you don’t like paper straws, buy your own and put them in your bag or car…Or use the one built into your face,” one woman suggested.
“Let’s hope our mindset changes and big grocery stores go after suppliers and their packaging more. No straw? No problem. Take the lid off and use it like you do all the other cups in your life…Like a cup,” another added.
And one mum wrote: “Great job Aldi and for those of you who say you won’t be buying again. Coles and Woolworths will follow soon.
Aldi has become the first supermarket in Australia to ditch plastic straws on the popular lunchbox staple – saying it was starting a national rollout in December, starting with the tropical fruit drink Westcliff.
Aldi Australia’s purchasing director for drinks, Dan Warner, said the decision was a “no-brainer” for the supermarket at the time.
“Juice boxes are a regular in children’s lunch boxes and we are extremely proud to start offering poppers with less plastic at the same low price,” he said.
“Parents on a mission to reduce household waste and its impact on the environment can now have peace of mind knowing that the drink in their child’s lunchbox contains less plastic, and they’re not sacrificing the convenience nor worry about the impact on their back pockets.”
Eliminating plastic straws is part of Aldi’s commitment to reduce its plastic use by 25% by 2025.
Aldi last year became the first major supermarket to remove single-use plastic picnic utensils from shelves, a move it estimates saved 322 tonnes of plastic from landfill.
It also replaced the stem of cotton swabs from plastic to paper.
Aldi said the paper straws in its poppers have undergone “extensive quality assurance testing” and are designed to “puncture packs and maintain a strong shape without softening”.
Similar straw game
Aldi isn’t the only retail giant to react after the switch from plastic to paper straws, with Macca cuts it for the same reason in 2019.
The move was part of business purpose sourcing 100% of food packaging from “renewable, recycled or certified sources by 2025”, as well as a packaging recycling plan in all restaurants worldwide.
However, many complained that the straws weren’t strong enough and as a result, customers struggled with their drinks.
“Paper straws are OK, but the best quality paper isn’t the one that crumbles as soon as it touches liquid,” one Australian said when straws first started rolling out here in 2020.
“Paper ones are useless, keep plastic or just use your mouth,” said another.
A man also deformed from the change: “Paper straws get soggy, if they give me a paper straw, I’ll slap them stupidly.”
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