Bimbo Canada: Transition to Compostable Bread Clips

CPP Roadmap Target #2

Project Timeline

Product launch: 2022

The Circular Solution 

The small size, combination of materials, and single-use nature of plastic bread tags have made them difficult to recycle, contributing to plastic waste and pollution of multiple waste streams.

To address this issue, Bimbo Canada, a leading bakery company in Canada, has transitioned from plastic bread clips to compostable cardboard clips for popular bread brands like Dempster’s®, Villaggio®, POM®, Bon Matin®, Ben’s®, and Stonemill®.

The compostable cardboard clips are made from 100 per cent recycled cardboard, and are recyclable and compostable in municipal composting programs, tested to fully biodegrade in 84 days.

Outcomes

To guarantee the freshness of their products, Bimbo Canada conducted testing on its new compostable bread clips over repeated use cycles at varying temperatures, including room temperature, refrigerator temperature, and freezer temperature. The company discovered that this transition would not impact the quality of the product or result in added costs.

Significantly, this sustainable design is projected to decrease Bimbo Canada’s yearly usage of single-use plastic by approximately 200 metric tonnes.

The initiative was also recognized with Canada’s Clean50 “Top Project” award for 2023.