Aldi sparks controversy over new product
Aldi has sparked debate with its shoppers who have questioned the supermarket’s decision to sell its new Special Buy products this week.
Tomorrow, Aldi will sell Green Action flushable bathroom cleaning wipes for shoppers to use on bathroom and toilet surfaces.
Shoppers have expressed their concern on Aldi’s Facebook page, saying the store should not be stocking an item which claims to be flushable.
One shopper wrote, “You have advertised flushable cleaning wipes this coming Wednesday but this is wrong. They must not be flushed. It is misleading advertising. Sydney Water are constantly trying to stop the sale of flushable wipes and now you are making things worse!”
Another expressed, “Aldi – I love you most of the time but really. Green Action (ahem) ‘Flushable’ wipes on sale next week?! When will everyone realise that these things ARE NOT FLUSHABLE!!! Please don’t help in harming the environment and our waste systems. Get with the program!!”
Consumer group CHOICE is currently running a ‘Flushbusters’ campaign to remove false claims by manufacturers that their products are flushable.
CHOICE spokesman Tom Godfrey told News Corp Australia that there is no need for a flushable product on the market.
“It’d be great if someone had developed a flushable wipe, and while it’s hard to pass judgment on Aldi’s product without seeing it, consumers should be really wary of flushable wipes,” he said.
“They’re a product that don’t need to exist, they’re bad for the environment, they’re bad for plumbing and can cost you and local councils a great deal of money.”
Recently, CHOICE tested Kleenex wipes to see if they would break down, and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission then took court actions against Kleenex and White King for misleading representation on “flushable” products.
Aldi Australia’s Facebook manager has told customers on the page, “The Green Action Flushable Bathroom Wipes meet the INDA/EDANA Flushable Assessment (GD3) (FG501-FG507) and are biodegradable.”
EDANA, the international association for the nonwovens and related industries, prescribes FG501-FG507 tests as:
*FG501 — Toilet bowl and drain-line clearance test
*FG502 — Slosh box disintegration test
*FG503 — Household pump test
*FG504 — Settling test
*FG505 — Aerobic biodisintegration/biodegradation tests
*FG506 — Anaerobic biodisintegration/biodegradation tests
*FG507 — Municipal sewage pump test
Aldi’s website says the Green Action range has been developed with consideration for the environment.
“Without compromising on performance and quality, we have restricted the use of harmful chemicals to limit our impact on the ecosystem,” it states.
“More of the Green Action packaging is recyclable, reusable and made from sustainable materials to conserve natural resources. This offers peace of mind knowing you are using products that are less harmful to the environment.”
This debate follows recent health warnings over an Aldi tap that was recalled after it had high levels of lead detected.