One of Canada’s largest bakery firms, which operates a facility here in Langley, is switching its plastic bread bag clips to compostable cardboard clips.
Bimbo Canada, a subsidiary of the Mexican bakery company, will be switching the the new clips on all its brands, including Dempsters, Villagio, POM, Bon Matin, Ben’s, and Stonemill.
The change is to start immediately and will be complete by June. It’s expected to reduce the company’s single-use plastic consumption by about 200 metric tonnes yearly.
“It’s important we lead change and be responsible stewards of the environment, and the communities that we live and work in, by delivering results,” said Joe McCarthy, president of Bimbo Canada. “This announcement helps us fulfill our commitment to nourish a better world through sustainable business practices and helps us to inspire others to do the same. All changes, big or small, make an impact.”
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The new bread bag tags are the result of a partnership with Quebec-based KLR Systems, which won a provincial Food Innovation Award last year for developing the cardboard clips.
“We developed this product knowing some small plastics, like bread tags, cannot always be recycled,” said Audrey Gagnon, general manager of KLR Systems. “Our goal for this innovation was to leverage local renewable resources that benefit the environment while also creating a product that consumers were familiar with using.”
The new cardboard tags are made from recycled cardboard and can be composted in municipal curbside waste pickup.
They’ve been tested over repeated use cycles at room temperature, fridge temperature, and freezer temperatures. They biodegrade in 84 days.
Bimbo Canada has set a goal of having 100 per cent of its packaging support a “circular economy” by being recyclable, biodegradable, or compostable by 2025. It’s also aiming to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 globally, and is working on reducing water, natural gas, and electricity use.
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