Goodman Fielder’s latest sustainability project is a triple treat, reducing waste, recycling plastic, and switching to 100 per cent energy. The packaging for its Helga’s bread brand is now 100 per cent recyclable through REDcycle.
Goodman Fielder head of sustainability Mick Anderson said the focus on reducing packaging and plastic waste started with design and innovation – the company has also reduced the plastic content in its bags by 25 per cent.
“We want to educate and enable consumers on how they can participate in that process, helping to potentially recycle more than 62 million bags each year,” Anderson said.
The company is also introducing 100 per cent recyclable cardboard bread tags across its range from September.
In July, the company switched to 100 per cent renewable electricity across all its bakeries four years earlier than its 2025 goal.
“The switch to 100 per cent renewable electricity for our Goodman Fielder operated bakeries is a critical step for Helga’s. By using renewable electricity we are moving closer to our target of net zero carbon emissions by 2040,” says Anderson.
In the last 18 months the company’s Burleigh Heads bakery achieved a 90 per cent reduction in production waste though a combination of behaviour and process changes and capital investment.
It also developed its mini loaves to support food waste prevention. It was a significant capital investment for the company, but it is on track to sell three million of the loaves this year.
