A tip top change to pesky bread tags

26th November 2020 | Eativity editors

New advancements in waste diversion are bringing plenty of good news to our planet, and this latest welcome development deals with a small but significant problem: bread tags.

Albert Einstein reputedly said, “The measure of intelligence is the ability to change”. Well, it seems like Australia is smartening up a lot lately, as positive new changes are really starting to happen in the realm of waste diversion. Sure, it doesn’t sound very glamorous, but it certainly makes a big difference to our fragile environment.

Earlier this week, we reported the launch of Australia’s first plastic-free single-use coffee cup and lid, while last week, a new program was announced that aims to deal with the millions of coffee pods that end up in our landfills every day. New technology is also finding ways to convert large amounts of food waste into nutrient-rich compost, old cooking oil into biofuel and farming waste into bioplastics.

Now a development has been made to deal with a small but still significant problem – plastic bread tags. Hundreds of millions of the little buggers end up in landfill every year, and the diminutive size of bread tags also makes them hazardous to birds and wildlife.

To help address the problem, Tip Top has announced a move to more sustainable packaging, introducing 100 percent recycled and recyclable cardboard bread tags.

Tip Top recyclable bread tags

Small tag, big impact

Initially launching on South Australian shelves, the initiative will remove 11 million plastic bread tags from local waste streams by the end of 2021. It will eventually eliminate more than 400 million plastic bread tags per year as the cardboard version rolls out nationally.

“Our goal is that by 2025, all Tip Top packaging will be 100 percent recyclable, reusable or compostable, to help close the loop,” says Graeme Cutler, Director of Sales and CSR Lead at Tip Top ANZ. “Developed and produced through rigorous testing, the new sustainable bread tags promise no compromise on freshness.”

Tip Top recyclable bread tags
That’s one small step for bread, one giant leap for breadkind.

How to recycle your tags

Tip Top encourages consumers to recycle their cardboard bread tags in kerbside recycling bins by tucking the tag securely inside other paper or cardboard products, such as an envelope or a paper bag. This will give them the best chance of being recycled into a new product rather than being sent to landfill.

“Small plastic items such as bread tags are problematic in the waste system,” says Paul Klymenko, CEO of Planet Ark. “It’s great to see this innovation by Tip Top in using 100 percent recycled content. It can then be recycled when placed in kerbside recycling correctly. It’s pleasing to see circular economy thinking being applied; they’re designing out problematic plastic waste and keeping resources in use.”

Cardboard bread tags can be found on all Tip Top fresh, sliced breads on South Australian shelves from today. Plans are to roll out the tags nationwide over the next two years.