Bidfood Catering releases ‘Plastic Ban’ guide ahead of plastic ban this autumn

Ahead of the single-use plastic ban coming into effect from this October, Bidfood’s Catering Supplies has released a ‘Plastic Ban’ guide suggesting alternative products its customers can switch to.

The guide will also promote recyclable plastics and their correct waste streams, as not all plastics are included in the ban.

In addition to the guide, Bidfood’s Catering Supplies will provide further information through a series of blogs and a dedicated webpage where readers can find news regarding the ban and access to its support materials.

Michaela Bateman, category and marketing manager for Catering Supplies at Bidfood, said: “While the ban means the end of single-use plastics, we really want our guide to highlight the good, recyclable plastics too. As always, we want to provide a product that’s fit for purpose and with a guaranteed waste stream.

“There is a lot more work to do in the packaging world, but clearly legislation centred on sustainability is encouraging innovation and I’m looking forward to seeing what the future holds for packaging and kitchen supplies.”

Bateman added the company has been working “to present [clients] with some great alternatives” to plastic.

She cited Bidfood’s Catering Supplies partnership with seaweed packaging company, Notpla, where the catering company has added six of Notpla’s seaweed-coated food-to-go packaging to its range. The packaging brand, which was recently awarded the Earthshot Prize by the Prince of Wales, has designed the seaweed-lined boxes to biodegrade naturally.

Bidfood Catering Supplies has also removed all expanded polystyrene (EPS) products from their disposables range last year and introduced a range of products such as paper cutlery, PE cling film and Flexsil-Lids.