Allied Bakeries flags up sustainable packaging switch

By Helen Glaberson

- Last updated on GMT

Related tags Allied bakeries Recycling Baker

Allied Bakeries, part of Associated British Foods, is converting to 100 per cent recycled packaging for two of its Kingsmill brand bread products by recycling its 'virgin material' bread bag packaging off-cuts.

The company's Little Big Loaf and Crusts Away ranges will use the sustainable wraps.

A spokesperson for Allied Bakeries told BakeryandSnacks.com that its original bag making process did not create enough waste to enable the company to roll out the packaging to its other bread ranges.

"As our existing process of packaging our bread and bakery products is designed to create as little amount of waste as possible we only have so many off-cuts as a result," ​said the spokesperson.

By reducing this packaging waste the manufacturer will save 1.4 tonnes of CO2 for every 1 tonne of recycled film made, claims Allied Bakeries category director Guy Shepherd.

As a further effort to minimise waste in its bread production, Allied Bakeries said its Little Big Loaf brand also has less slices and is aimed at smaller households, while Crusts Away has the crusts cut off and used to make breadcrumbs or animal food.

Oven efficiency

The firm is also replacing older, “less efficient” ovens with new ones, which Allied Bakeries said will reduce its carbon footprint by over 20 per cent when baking its bread products.

Making more of its loaves locally will also boost its eco performance said the baker, which added that over the last two years this change has saved Allied Bakeries's trucks from driving an extra 900,000 miles.

Allied Bakeries reports a host of other sustainable initiatives which include new delivery trucks that it claims will reduce carbon and other engine exhaust emission levels. This is achieved through its streamlined 'tear drop' body shape which gives optimum aerodynamic efficiency, according to the company.

Work with the Carbon Trust

Allied Bakeries is also working with the Carbon Trust as part of its bid to reduce its carbon footprint.

And the company claims to be the first bread brand to use the Trust's Carbon Label, to calculate the carbon footprint across three of its bread brands.

From carrying this out analysis across these products the company said that Kingsmill Great Everyday and Kingsmill Tasty Wholemeal both have a carbon footprint of 1.3Kg of CO2 per 800g loaf whilst Kingsmill 50/50 is 1.2Kg of CO2.

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