New plastic bread baskets and dollies feature additive to deter theft, created by Bakers Basco Ltd and Ravensbourn Container Systems Ltd
New plastic bread baskets and dollies will be introduced into the manufacturing and delivery processes of the UK’s leading bakery brands, as part of a campaign to reduce theft of bakery equipment for plastic scrapping.
The new equipment contains a special additive that has been added to the polymer material at the manufacturing stage. This additive, once added to the material, can never be removed, therefore creating a lifetime of traceability. The material can be easily identified in whatever form it may be in – even if the plastic has been recycled.
The new baskets will be used in the manufacturing and delivery of products made by leading bakery companies including Warburtons,Roberts, Fine Lady, Allied Bakeries and Premier Foods.
The initiative is being led by Bakers Basco Limited, the national organisation that manages approximately three million bread baskets on behalf of UK bakeries, in conjunction with Ravensbourn Container Systems Limited, the UK’s largest supplier of bread baskets. It has been put in place to reduce the theft of plastic bread baskets by illegal polymer recyclers and equipment thieves.
The loss of plastic bread baskets and dollies through theft equates to millions of pounds worth of lost equipment for the baking industry each year. The bakery equipment is illegally used and also stolen for the raw monetary value of the plastic polymer; in much the same way that metal is stolen.
The industry is now joining forces to raise awareness of this issue and the legal limitations, which mean that if an illegal recycler has been found with bakery equipment on site, the authorities are powerless to prosecute unless it can be proven that the equipment is stolen. Currently, it is virtually impossible to trace plastic polymer material back to the source.
Russell Meredith, Operations Manager at Ravensbourn, adds: “Basket theft is a significant issue for the industry; and it is one that bakeries have had to deal with for many years.Although Basco already operates a successful asset recovery team – recovering thousands of baskets every month – another step was needed. We are pleased to have been able to turn this into reality.”
Bakers Basco Limited
recovery@bakersbasco.co.uk
www.bakersbasco.co.uk
08000 327 323
Ravensbourn Container Systems Limited
sales@ravensbourn.co.uk
www.ravensbourn.co.uk
01283 500 525
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