Bakers Basco is urging social media and auction websites to help prevent the illegal sale of its bakery distribution equipment.
Despite setting up a dedicated team last year to crack down on online sales of stolen Omega baskets and dollies, the membership scheme reported that the situation had only worsened.
Over the past 12 months, Bakers Basco said it had identified 89 adverts across various platforms including eBay and Facebook Marketplace attempting to sell a total of 2,864 baskets and 386 dollies. After being contacted, a few sellers agreed to remove their Facebook ads and allowed Bakers Basco to collect the items. However, the majority ignored messages or claimed that the equipment did not belong to Bakers Basco, even though the trays were clearly marked with its logo, address, and contact details.
In one notable case, a seller who refused to provide collection details or delist the items had their personal account linked to the advert, which revealed their place of employment. Bakers Basco officers visited the location and issued a charge as the seller was found to be misusing equipment. The intervention led to the recovery of 228 Omega dollies.
“The misuse and illicit sale of our plastic bread baskets is a serious problem for the UK’s bakery industry,” commented Paul Empson, general manager of Bakers Basco. “These baskets are crucial for maintaining hygiene standards and ensuring the safe transportation of baked goods.
“Social media platforms, including Facebook Marketplace, must take this issue seriously and implement measures to prevent the illegal sale of such equipment. The impact on the supply chain, food safety, and the environment is too significant to ignore,” Empson added.
Bakers Basco was set up in 2006 through a collaboration between bakery manufacturing giants Warburtons, Hovis, Allied Bakeries, Frank Roberts & Sons, and Fine Lady Bakeries. It manages an equipment pool of approximately 4.5 million Omega baskets, which have a shelf life of up to eight years, and 450,000 dollies for use by bakeries across the UK.
“These baskets are designed specifically for our members to ensure safe storage and transportation of baked goods,” expressed Stacey Brown, national investigations manager at Bakers Basco, who previously shared a day in the life account of her job. “Selling them for general-purpose use poses contamination risks, compromises food safety, and contributes to the plastic waste problem. This is not a victimless crime; it has real consequences for our industry and the environment.”
Bakers Basco confirmed it was intensifying its efforts to monitor all social media sites and would take legal action against anyone found selling their equipment online. It called on consumers to recognise the impact of such actions on the circular economy and plastic recycling efforts and encouraged responsible behaviour.
This year, Bakers Basco has also teamed up with Crimestoppers on a national awareness campaign, become the primary source of investigation and recovery for both Allied Bakeries and Hovis equipment, and expanded its operations to Northern Ireland and Scotland.
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