Sleaford food firm is tackling the environmental issue of plastic waste

The family firm, which has been attempting reduce plastic usage for some time, 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 trial a new 2 ply paper bag with a polyethylene (PE) coating. The innovative bag, which contains such a small percentage of PE coating 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 firm’s managing director James Arnold 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’re 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.”

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 it’s 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.