The initiative, encompassing both branded and private-label products, aims to decrease plastic usage by 110 tonnes annually. The Compleat Food Group produces approximately 200 million pork pies each year, marketed under its various brands, including Pork Farms, Wall’s Pastry, and Wrights.
This rollout aligns with the company’s commitment to minimizing its environmental footprint while ensuring the highest food quality and safety standards. A significant investment in automation at its Tottle facility has enabled the introduction of an innovative trayless packaging process. This advancement reduces plastic in high-volume pork pie packs by 75%, leading to an estimated carbon saving of around 430 tonnes of CO2 equivalent annually.
Beyond the trayless packaging initiative, The Compleat Food Group is pioneering advancements in flexible films, which present notable challenges for the food and drink packaging industry due to insufficient recycling infrastructure. The group is transitioning to mono-material films for specific product lines, including chorizo. Notably, these films can be recycled at supermarket collection points, and they are anticipated to become kerbside recyclable by 2027.
As a signatory of WRAP’s UK Plastics Pact, The Compleat Food Group is dedicated to tackling packaging challenges by eliminating superfluous materials, enhancing recycled content usage, and improving recyclability. The company utilizes over 4,000 tonnes of plastic annually and has formulated a clear strategy to decrease this number through deliberate innovations, all while preserving product quality and freshness.
The company’s broader Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) objectives include investigating novel packaging solutions, trialing recyclable alternatives, and weaving sustainability throughout its operations. Recent milestones include the substitution of rPET plastic trays for recyclable paper-based board in its Squeaky Bean® range, resulting in an 82% reduction in plastic usage for that lineup.
David Moore, Head of ESG at The Compleat Food Group, stated: “Our move to trayless packaging for pork pies is a prime example of how innovation and investment can drive meaningful sustainability improvements. While the automation required careful consideration of speed and efficiency, the result is a significant reduction in plastic use without compromising on product quality or freshness.”
Moreover, he added, “This marks a huge step forward in our efforts to reduce plastic packaging across our portfolio, supporting our wider purpose to make food to feel good, taste good and do good.”
For additional information, please visit www.compleatfood.com
