One of Britain’s largest foodservice wholesalers has pledged to drastically reduce the use of plastics in its supply chain to help combat pollution.
Brakes launched their ‘2 Zero 20’ campaign, becoming the first major foodservice supplier to reveal formal plastic reduction plans.
‘2 Zero 20’ signals Brakes’ intention to eliminate the use of such plastics from all its own brand products by the end of 2020. The reduction programme starts on 5 June, World Environment Day, when hard black plastics will no longer be allowed in any new Brakes products.
Brakes’ CEO, Hugo Mahoney, said the decision was “not about individual business' but 'about the industry working together”.
“We recognise that the foodservice industry needs to be more proactive in being responsible users of plastic. We also know that consumers are asking our customers what they are doing about plastic and we are therefore giving them the solution that they need, by committing to remove non-recyclable hard black plastic from our own brand products by the end of 2020,” Mahoney said.
“We will also be working with some of the UK’s leading foodservice brands and suppliers as part of our packaging forum as we seek to find alternatives to problematic materials and unnecessary single-use items, with a focus on items within our catering disposables range, such as hard black plastic food containers and straws.”
Brakes will also work with suppliers and customers to look at increasing the levels of recycling that takes place in the foodservice industry and improve labelling that will help customers and consumers increase recycling rates.
They also intend to launch an education programme for staff working with a leading charity, where with employees helping clear up litter in local communities and recycle the contents.
