North Devon ready meal delivery business recycles more than 15m plastic trays

A North Devon ready meal delivery business is celebrating doing its bit for the planet after recycling more than 15 million plastic meal trays.

Wiltshire Farm Foods, based in South Molton, has made the announcement to coincide with Recycle Week 2023, which is running until October 22 and is organised by WRAP.

The company, which delivers food to customers’ homes, collects and recycles all its used food trays in what it says is the first ‘closed loop recycling system’ of its kind in the world.

After just two years of operation for Wiltshire Farm Foods, it says this system is the first ever of its kind on an industrial scale.

This service for its customers involves collecting washed, used trays directly from customers and sending them back to a specialist recycling facility in Durham. Here, they are recycled into brand new trays, which are then distributed back to the company for use.

David Pugsley, retail sales and operations manager at the site in South Molton is proud of the positive environmental efforts the company is making and the high engagement seen from local customers.

He said: “Our customers thoroughly enjoy taking part in this process, with many of them comparing it to when the milkman used to collect their empty milk bottles! We know that they feel reassured in the knowledge that they are doing the right thing for the environment to support future generations.

“We’re proud to be playing our part in this pioneering initiative and hope to keep encouraging even more of our customers to take part.”

The latest Household Plastic Packaging Collection Survey by RECOUP showed that around 47 per cent of plastic placed into household recycling is then sent abroad for processing with uncertain results.

Comparatively, Wiltshire Farm Foods guarantees that 100 per cent of the trays collected back will be recycled into brand new trays here in the UK, leaving no room for uncertainty for its customers.

This commitment to protecting the environment remains a key priority to the company, especially with its packaging, which it says leaves its customers with 97 per cent less packaging than other ready meal brands.

David added: “We believe it’s the right way to do business and we know our customers agree with us and support our sustainability values.”