The new bread bag for Hovis’ premium breads in the UK, Seed Sensations, is now made almost entirely from renewable polyethylene (PE). And it’s a first in the market.
Hovis asked Amcor Flexibles to develop the new bag, which is made from a sugar cane source to deliver a 75% lower product carbon footprint than traditional bread bags made with plastic from non-renewable fossil sources, and also to gain official certification.
Hovis is displaying its Carbon Trust certification on the packaging using an on-pack flash, which communicates its lower carbon footprint and commitment to sustainability.
Richard McQuillan, Hovis marketing manager at Hovis Ltd stated, “The Hovis brand has always stood for goodness and healthy products. From its launch, we have focused on the nutritional benefits of the wheatgerm. When Amcor presented the renewable PE project to us, we saw an obvious fit for Hovis as we look for ways in which we can reduce environmental impacts through packaging format changes.
“The attention to detail from the team at Amcor Flexibles has been a key part of the smooth introduction of the new packaging format. We knew we had a breakthrough proposition with the new renewable PE bread bag and have been able to work closely with Amcor Flexibles.”
“As a global packaging leader, Amcor Flexibles has a responsibility to manage the environmental impacts of all its operations and products. The Advanced Sustainability Stewardship Evaluation Tool (ASSET™) is a key element in Amcor’s journey towards excellence in sustainability," added Dr. Gerald Rebitzer, Amcor Flexibles Europe & Americas sustainability leader.
“In May 2012, the background methodology and data content of ASSET™ successfully achieved certification from the Carbon Trust, a global leader in carbon management and carbon footprint certification. We are delighted that we have been able to support the Hovis Seed Sensations re-launch with ASSET™ delivering a significant improvement that benefits the complete value chain.”
Russell Granville, product development manager, Amcor Flexibles Europe & Americas (produce & bakery), confirmed that the very first step was the successful certification by the Carbon Trust of Amcor's Advanced Sustainability Stewardship Evaluation Tool (ASSET) in May 2012. The next step was to then work specifically with The Carbon Trust to validate the carbon footprint for the new Hovis Seed Sensations renewable PE bread bag. Amcor also worked with Beta Analyticals in London, which is able to technically evaluate films and validate/confirm that they are made from renewable PE.
