Drones took to the sky in Cheshire as part of a campaign to highlight Roberts Bakery’s switch to paper packaging on its core range.

Dubbed the ‘Bread Arrows’, the drones performed an acrobatic display to mark the launch of the paper bags, which rolled out earlier this month. The drones then moved to delivery mode with a series of follow-up bread drops to plastic-free campaigners in communities from Stockport to Stoke.

The packaging switch means Roberts’ core 800g loaf range is now sold in sustainably-sourced paper bags with a very thin polypropylene coating to help keep the bread fresh. They join its Bloomers and Digestion Boost range in paper bags that contain 53% less plastic than the polyethylene ones.

“Retailers are under increased pressure from consumers to reduce the amount of packaging they use,” said Roberts Bakery MD Stuart Spencer-Calnan.

“And we also know that shoppers want to make more efforts towards sustainability, but that it’s sometimes complicated and costly to do so. We’ve responded by producing a bag that is really easy to dispose of responsibly from home, for a comparable price to the usual loaves they buy.”

The move has also been welcomed by the wider recycling industry.

“The team there has engaged with us on its plans to reduce the packaging from a predominantly plastic to paper-based option. It’s a great example of how manufacturing companies can work with the recycling supply chain to meet the needs of both,” said Simon Ellin, chief executive of The Recycling Association.