Image supplied by Tip Top
Like many Aussie families who buy bread week in week out for breakfasts, school lunches and more, my family have been consuming bread from Tip Top Bakeries for years. It was in 2021 I noticed the bread tags had changed over from plastic to cardboard. I was excited to see this innovation in their packaging and I was curious to learn more about how this all came about.
Maddison Fox who is the Sustainability and Nutrition Manager for Tip Top Bakeries spoke with Central West Mums today about the recent changes to packaging and sustainability across all brands.
Maddison has worked with Tip Top for eight years and is responsible for the strategy across the sustainability and nutrition for all Tip Top brands and products. As a Mum of two young children with a third on the way, Maddison understands just how important this role is and the responsibility companies like Tip Top need to take for Aussie families.
Tip Top embarked on a sustainability journey more than three years ago, starting with its packaging. As a business, we wanted to do our best to provide packaging that used recycled product and is recyclable, so we invested in a huge amount of research and development to find the best solutions for our entire supply chain. Our first initiative was the launch of Australia’s first 100 per cent recycled and 100 per cent recyclable cardboard bread tag launched in South Australia back in November 2020, before rolling out across New South Wales and Victoria by August 2021. The cardboard bread tags will be rolled out nationally in the coming months.
On our journey to finding a more sustainable bread tag solution, we engaged many local and international manufacturers. Local manufacturers were unfortunately unable to produce a 100 per cent recycled and recyclable solution, so we’re currently working with an offshore company. We are committed to Australian innovation and it’s something we are always keeping on top of with our suppliers.
Our 100 per cent recycled cardboard bag tag, that is also 100 per cent recyclable, will eventually rid the nation of a whopping 400 million pieces of single-use plastic every year.
Changing consumer behaviour is a vital step in this move. The new cardboard bread tags can be recycled in kerbside recycling bins, making it easy for consumers to recycle. The size of the tags requires them to be tucked inside a similar waste stream, such as paper or cardboard, before placing them in the recycling bin. This gives them the best chance of being recycled while preventing them from being lost or caught in the transportation from home to recycling plant.
The tags are the first of a number of innovations to come from Tip Top as we work toward our vision to feed Aussie families more sustainably. Our goal is that by 2025, all Tip Top’s packaging will be 100 per cent recyclable, reusable or compostable to help close-the-loop.
Tip Top has committed to Australia’s 2025 National Packaging Targets and is proactively working towards achieving these. It’s a very exciting time for us!
Our sustainable bread tag announcement is part of Tip Top’s broader sustainability vision of feeding Aussie families more sustainably. Our environmental ambition doesn’t stop at plastic. The business has a number of key environmental initiatives in place that span water, energy and waste. You can read more about our sustainability initiatives on our website here.
We work hard to provide new and exciting products to Aussie families every year, so keep an eye out for new products in the near future.
Maddison says that Tip Top enjoys connecting with Aussie families and welcomes any feedback in future on products and the new sustainable packaging solutions.
You can share any feedback on the following link which can be found here.
