Bakers Basco has signed a three-year contract with plastic injection moulding firm Counterplas to produce more than 500,000 bread baskets annually.
Production of the baskets, which are made with 30% recycled polypropylene, will begin at the end of May. They represent part of Bakers Basco’s commitment to contribute in a positive way to the circular economy by reducing the environmental impact of its plastic use in the supply chain.
Bakers Basco was set up in 2006 by five plant bakers – Allied Bakeries, Fine Lady Bakeries, Frank Roberts & Sons, Hovis and Warburtons. The company currently manages an equipment pool of around five million reusable Omega Baskets and 500,000 dollies. Each bit of equipment is designed to last many years, the firm noted, adding that those at the end of their life can be recycled and the material used to produce new ones.
Recovery of lost and stolen baskets is an ongoing task for Bakers Basco, which has stepped up its investment in technology in recent years to improve attrition rates. This includes introducing GPS tracking devices across its bakery equipment pool to track and monitor the daily movements of items more closely.
“We were looking for a supplier that is nimble and flexible to be able to quickly respond to our changing requirement and we found that in Counterplas,” said Paul Empson, general manager of Bakers Basco. “We were impressed not only by the quality of equipment it can produce but working closely with a streamlined management team means that the decision-making process when we need extra parts, for example, is quicker and more efficient.”
Bakers Basco added that the firms will also likely work closely on innovation across other projects exploring different sizes, densities, tooling, and products.
“Businesses like Bakers Basco must run like clockwork to ensure the daily delivery of bread to several bakeries across the UK, so they need a partner they can rely on to meet the production demand, and we look forward to a seamless takeover of the contract and hopefully working together on future projects,” said Counterplas CEO Mike Elms.
Elms joined Counterplas three years ago, transforming it from a £3m turnover business to £13m during that time. His background in the packaging industry has seen Counterplas’ capabilities expand from a global Siemens traffic light contract to manufacture a range of material handling containers from milk crates to bread trays and various logistics containers supplied to major UK retailers including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and Asda.
No comments yet