Counterplas takes on Bakers Basco contract to produce 500k+ bread baskets, with 30% recycled material

Bakers Basco seals three-year bakery equipment production deal with Counterplas...

Bakers Basco, the equipment membership scheme set up by Allied Bakeries, Fine Lady Bakeries, Frank Roberts & Sons, Hovis and Warburtons, has inked a three-year contract with Counterplas to produce over 500,000 bread baskets annually, which are made from 30% recycled plastic material. 

The first production from Counterplas will start at the end of May, marking the beginning of the contract, initially to produce over half a million plastic bread trays each year using at least 30% recycled polypropylene (PP) material. This is part of Bakers Basco’s commitment to contribute in a positive way to the circular economy by reducing the environmental impact of its plastic use in the supply chain.

Based in the West Midlands, Counterplas is a leading technical plastic injection moulding company which helps businesses source cost-effective materials from the UK and abroad using a sophisticated supply chain management structure. Its large selection of modern, energy efficient machines range from 85T to 1500T provide a complete plastic manufacturing solution which carries out all the moulding and product assembly. All equipment is robot-assisted, and microprocessor controlled.

“We’re delighted that Counterplas has been selected to handle the new contract for Bakers Basco,” said Mike Elms, CEO, Counterplas. “Businesses like Bakers Basco must run like clockwork to ensure the daily delivery of bread to several bakeries across the UK, so they need a partner they can rely on to meet the production demand, and we look forward to a seamless takeover of the contract and hopefully working together on future projects.” 

Elms joined Counterplas three years ago, transforming it from a £3m turnover business to £13m during that time. His solid background in the packaging industry has seen Counterplas’ capabilities expand from a global Siemens traffic light contract to manufacture a range of material handling containers from milk crates to bread trays and various logistics containers supplied to major UK retailers including Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda.

“We were looking for a supplier that is nimble and flexible to be able to quickly respond to our changing requirement and we found that in Counterplas,” said Paul Empson, General Manager, Bakers Basco. “We were impressed not only by the quality of equipment it can produce but working closely with a streamlined management team means that the decision-making process when we need extra parts, for example, is quicker and more efficient.”

Looking ahead to the future, Bakers Basco will likely work closely with Counterplas on innovation across other projects exploring different sizes, densities, tooling and products.