Stockport company joins campaign against plastic

Stockport based Starkey Hearing Technologies received a delivery with a difference as a drone dropped in with a loaf of bread to celebrate the company joining the campaign against plastics.

Looking at ways to reduce their own plastic footprint, Starkey Hearing Technologies’ Suzie Bryant took delivery of bread from the sky to mark the switch of Roberts bakery’s top selling loaves into a revolutionary new paper packaging.

Doing something ‘drastic about plastic’, Roberts has reduced plastic in its bread bags by 53% – switching its core ranges into sustainably sourced paper. It’s the first bakery brand in the UK to do so.

Dubbed the Bread Arrows, the drones performed an acrobatic display to mark the new paper bags hitting shelves of 300 Tesco stores in Stockport and across the UK – giving the nation’s bread buyers an environmentally-friendly option.

Suzie Bryant, from Hazel Grove-based Starkey Hearing Technologies, said:

“We are passionate about taking plastic out of our lives and spend a lot of time encouraging others to do the same, so it’s great to see a bread manufacturer taking responsibility and making it easy for the people of Stockport to do the right thing.

“We’ve recently replaced all plastic items used in our canteen and drinks machines with fully biodegradable materials and provided all staff with multi use hot cups and drinks bottles.  We continue to look at ways that we can reduce plastic use further, so it is a great pleasure to be a small part in supporting Roberts Bakery with such a great campaign.”

UK bakeries produce 10,700* tonnes of hard-to-recycle plastic packaging every year. Most goes straight to landfill or it must be taken to specialist recycling points. Roberts is the first bakery brand to come up with a bag that can be put into the paper or mixed recycling bin. 

The new bag has 53% less plastic than before and is made from sustainably-sourced paper with a very thin poly prop coating to ensure that the loaves stay fabulously fresh.

Importantly, the cost of the loaves remains the same. Mindful that price is often quoted as a barrier to consumers reducing their plastic consumption, the bakers have managed to retain the usual RSP of £1.15.

Supporting the switch, The Recycling Association’s Chief Executive, Simon Ellin, said:

“I welcome the progress made by Roberts bakery towards an eventual single material packaging solution for its bread. The team there has engaged with us on its plans to reduce the packaging from a predominantly plastic to paper-based option. It’s a great example of how manufacturing companies can work with the recycling supply chain to meet the needs of both.

“I look forward to maintaining the relationship with Roberts bakery and supporting them in their aim of developing predominantly paper-based packing for their bread.”

Roberts hopes that Tesco shoppers will embrace the revolution by doing their bit and buy new Roberts loaves ‘for good’.

Roberts’ newly packaged core range – Thick Soft White, Mega Thick Soft White, Medium Soft White and Classic Wholemeal – is available exclusively in selected Tesco stores with an RRP of £1.15.

Local stockist details can be found here. #RiseUpAgainstPlastic