Frozen bread and dough supplier Speciality Breads has set out new environmental targets, including a 50% reduction in consumption of single-use plastic by 2020.

The Margate-based business, which supplies restaurants, pubs, cafés, caterers and hotels, is also aiming to:

  • Make all its packaging recyclable or recycled
  • Introduce solar cooling to improve refrigeration efficiency
  • Introduce low emission/hybrid cars where viable for sales staff
  • Achieve zero to landfill status for the bakery.

Speciality Breads managing director Simon Cannell said TV show Blue Planet had made the business look closely at what it could do to help protect the environment.

“We have always prided ourselves on being a responsible business in everything we do, but the horrific images on David Attenborough’s Blue Planet were a real shock to the system,” he added.

Cannell said switching to alternative forms of food packaging was not straightforward, however.

“Many alternatives are not safe for food-contact packaging, some will affect shelf life, and some need certain conditions to degrade.

“None of this deters us from our desire to reduce our reliance on plastics, though, and we believe that these initial targets are stretching, time-sensitive and deliverable.”

In 2016, Speciality Breads won the Responsible Business Champion Award for South Thanet after being nominated by MP Roger Gale for the positive impact it has on its staff, the community, local businesses and constituencies.