Treetop Biopak leads the charge against packaging waste in fresh bread market

Treetop Biopak is championing environmental responsibility with a breakthrough solution – home compostable bags that tackle packaging waste in the fresh bread market.

Treetop Biopak – a specialist in compostable packaging materials such as bags, cling film, stretch film and shrink wrap – says its innovation aims to address the challenges of sustainability within the bakery industry by recognising the environmental impact of millions of plastic bread bags used daily by consumers and food service providers.

The introduction comes at a time where recent consumer research by McKinsey’s highlights a significant change in preference for environmental packaging, with consumers ranking compostable packaging as the most sustainable choice, surpassing both paper and recycled materials.

Unlike conventional plastic bags, which often end up in landfill or are incinerated due to low recycling rates, the bags are designed to compost once discarded correctly, not leaving any microplastics or pollutants behind.

Treetop Biopak has addressed the longstanding challenge with compostable bags maintaining the freshness of packaged bread by developing a single-layer material with higher barrier properties specifically designed for bakery products. The material not only meets the sustainability criteria but also addresses the freshness issue by maintaining the shelf life of fresh bread products.

According to the company, through rigorous testing, the compostable bags demonstrated impressive shelf-life results, including seven to ten days with sliced bloomer and sourdough bread. The bags, supplied on wickets, also showed excellent machinability when integrated into automatic bread bagging lines, ensuring smooth and efficient operations for bakeries and manufacturers.

In addition to fresh bread, the high barrier compostable material has been successfully tested on flow wrapping machines with morning goods and bakery products such as pancakes and small cakes.

Treetop Biopak’s introduction of compostable bread bags signifies a major step towards reducing the environmental impact of plastic in the industry. By offering a sustainable packaging solution that aligns with the principles of circular economy, these bags have the potential to make a substantial difference in the plastic footprint of manufacturers, retailers, and brands alike.

Treetop Biopak founder Amir Gross states: “We are committed to enabling clients to balance their quality and performance with consumer requirements for compostable solutions to reduce waste plastic. This allows a whole range of goods to maintain their freshness, ensure the required shelf life, while minimizing any impact on the environment.”

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