Lincolnshire food supplier looks to a greener future with innovative packaging products
Packaging Solutions Green Solutions
Lincolnshire based food supplier Sleaford Quality Foods is set to trial a new range of recyclable packaging products that will further cement its reputation as a trailblazer in environmentally friendly food provision.
A leading supplier of high quality ingredients for the food manufacturing and catering industries for over 50 years, Sleaford Quality Foods has long been at the forefront of the drive to reduce plastic usage, and the firm is now ramping up its efforts as the environmental damage inflicted by plastic overuse continues to hit the headlines.
In August the eco conscious family business will be trialling a new two ply paper bag with a polyethylene (PE) coating. The innovative bag, which contains such a small percentage of PE coating that it is classed as fully recyclable, will house two new product lines, and in the long term the company is aiming to use the bag to package its entire product range. The firm is also looking to develop a series of recyclable laminates and pouches made from a mono layer plastic, which will allow them to be processed through a recycling loop.
The packaging of one of Sleaford Quality Foods’ signature ranges is also set for an eco friendly revamp. The popular Chef William range, which includes soups, herbs and spices, canned fruit and vegetables and ‘core’ ingredients such as pasta and rice, currently packs its seasoning range in pots made from the recyclable material PET, with lids of polypropylene. However, some recycling sorting stations are unable to detect the lids due to their black colour. The firm is therefore set to jettison lids containing carbon black in favour of alternative colours in order to ensure that they are detectable in the recycling loop.
James Arnold, managing director at Sleaford Quality Foods, said: ‘We are constantly challenging our supplier and clients to step up their efforts to reduce plastic usage, and have recently held discussions with a company that is developing a fully compostable bio plastic – one of the most environmentally friendly packaging materials available on today’s market.
‘We are finding that most of the companies we deal with now are very open to greener packaging solutions – this is something we will continue to push on with as we expand and take on new supplier and clients.’
One such company is Carmarthenshire based Castell Howell.
Head of procurement Chris Dennis stated, ‘Recyclable and greener packaging is becoming ever more important and our customers rightly expect the food sector to take a lead in this area. It is great to see Chef William playing its part and we will welcome anything that helps make our products greener.’
