12th July 2018
Speciality Breads Commits to Cutting Plastic
Speciality Breads Commits to Cutting Plastic as New Environmental Targets Announced
Red Tractor-certified artisan baker Speciality Breads has announced new environmental targets including an aim to reduce its consumption of single-use plastic by 50% by 2020 as it looks to further enhance its green credentials.
Established in 1996 in Kent, Speciality Breads has been one of the UK’s success stories since its breads starred at the London Olympics in 2012. The company has seen YOY double-digit growth since the games and opened a new state-of-the-art bakery in 2015.
In 2016, the company won the Responsible Business Champion Award for South Thanet after being nominated by MP Roger Gale for the positive impact it has on its staff, the community, local businesses and constituencies.
The ambitious new environmental targets to be reached by 2020 include:
• 50% reduction in the consumption of single-use plastic
• All packaging to be recyclable or recycled packaging
• Introduction of solar cooling to improve refrigeration efficiency
• To introduce low emission/hybrid cars where viable for sales members.
• Achieve zero to landfill status for the bakery
Speciality Breads Managing Director Simon Cannell said:
“We have always prided ourselves on being a responsible business in everything we do but the horrific images on David Attenborough’s Blue Planet were a real shock to the system and have made us all look more closely at our business and see what more we can do to help protect our environment and ecosystems.”
“Fortunately, this is relatively low compared to many food manufacturers due to the unique preserving benefits of frozen food but there is still more we can do. For anyone who’s looked into plastics and their alternatives when it comes to food packaging, you will be well aware that it is not straight forward. Many alternatives are not safe for food contact packaging, some will affect shelf life and some need certain conditions to degrade. None of this deters us from our desire to reduce our reliance on plastics though and we believe that these initial targets are stretching, time-sensitive and deliverable.”
Speciality Breads
Established in 1996 in Margate, Speciality Breads provides an ever-growing, artisan selection of over 100 freshly frozen breads and doughs, which are hand-made by the company’s master bakers using Red Tractor-certified British flour. The company distributes its products to a UK-wide network of wholesalers, who in turn supply leading restaurants, pubs, cafés, caterers and hotels throughout the UK.
