Athy man takes home prestigious sustainability award

ATHY man, Jason Carolan, from Aldi Ireland has been announced as the winner of the ESG Leader Award at the Repak Resource Awards 2025, Ireland’s National Environmental Awards.

The event, held at The Shelbourne Hotel, brought together leaders from across Ireland’s business, environmental, and community sectors to celebrate the positive impact of environmental initiatives nationwide.

The Repak Resource Awards, formerly known as the Pakman Awards, are Ireland’s National Environmental Awards and recognise exceptional achievements in waste prevention, recycling, reuse, circular design, and community-led environmental initiatives.

Jason Carolan, Aldi Ireland was honoured with the ESG Leader Award, sponsored by Producer Register Ltd. Carolan, who is from Athy, Co Kildare, has led Aldi’s Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategy in packaging, resource management, and operational sustainability since 2023. He has led innovations from vacuum packed mince to recycled PET/aluminium wine bottles and glass lightweighting, removing 600+ tonnes of packaging in 2024 and raising recyclability to 99.2%. Carolan oversaw RVM installation across all 163 stores, enabling 200 million DRS returns and a 140% return rate.

Speaking about Mr Carolan’s recent win Repak CEO, Zoe Kavanagh said:

“Jason Carolan of Aldi exemplifies the leadership and innovation driving Ireland’s transition to a more sustainable future. Through his strategic approach to packaging, resource management, and operational sustainability, Aldi has achieved significant progress, removing more than 600 tonnes of packaging, increasing recyclability to over 99%. Jason’s commitment to measurable action and continuous improvement sets a strong example for ESG excellence and demonstrates how ambitious goals can deliver meaningful environmental impact.”