London, UK – November 25, 2015 – Bakers Basco has unveiled the latest innovation in its campaign to deter equipment theft by impregnating its plastic bread baskets and dollies with a special additive that not only makes identification of the plastic possible even after recycling and reprocessing, but can negatively impact recycling processes.
Bakers Basco, which manages a pool of approximately three million bread baskets on behalf of UK bakeries, has implemented the new “glitter” additive in the manufacture of its plastic bread trays in an effort to stop illegal polymer recyclers and equipment thieves.
The loss of plastic bread baskets through theft and unauthorised abuse results in millions of pounds’ worth of lost equipment for the baking industry each year. In many cases, the bakery equipment is illegally used and stolen for the raw monetary value of the plastic polymer, in much the same way that metal is stolen.
The equipment now contains a special traceable additive that has been added to the polymer material at the manufacturing stage. Once implemented, the additive can never be removed, therefore creating a lifetime of traceability. The material can be easily identified in whatever form it may be in – even if the plastic has been recycled – as it reduces the opportunity to mix with pure plastic.
“We have introduced this initiative to help reduce the possibility of plastic baskets and dollies not being returned to their legitimate owners,” said Steve Millward, General Manager, Bakers Basco. “This is an important issue that recyclers and waste management officials should be aware of as the glitter can have a negative impact on their processes. At the same time, we hope that it will encourage abusers to ask themselves, is it really worth the risk?”
The “glitter” baskets are currently being used in the manufacturing and delivery of products made by more than 20 leading bakers, including Warburtons, Hovis, Frank Roberts & Sons, Fine Lady Bakeries and Allied Bakeries.
“Attrition has been a tremendous issue in the industry for many years, incurring considerable costs for bakers,” adds Millward. “Although tough measures are already being taken by our recovery team against anyone found to be using unauthorised bread baskets and other equipment, this latest step marks our commitment to reducing the amount of losses within the industry as a whole.”
The news comes hot on the heels of Bakers Basco implementing a GPS tracking device into its equipment, as part of the company’s ongoing efforts to combat the unauthorised use of its equipment.