UK bakers keep reusable asset losses below 10% as theft, misuse and illegal recycling persist

The latest figures highlight the ongoing challenge of protecting reusable transport packaging and keeping valuable assets circulating within the UK bakery supply chain rather than being diverted, scrapped or disposed of prematurely.

The latest annual figures show gross attrition rates of 9.89% for baskets and 9.66% for dollies. When recycled damages are excluded, net attrition rates stand at 6.96% for baskets and 7.16% for dollies.

The results underline the success of Bakers Basco's ongoing efforts to protect millions of reusable bread baskets and dollies that circulate throughout the UK bakery industry, despite persistent attempts by some businesses and individuals to misuse, retain or illegally dispose of the equipment.

For two decades, Bakers Basco has worked to reduce equipment losses through a combination of investigations, intelligence gathering, recovery operations and industry engagement. The organisation regularly recovers bakery equipment from wholesale markets, retailers, caterers, festivals and illegal recycling operations where it has been diverted from its intended use.

"While we would always like to see attrition rates fall further, maintaining losses below 10% despite ongoing misuse and theft challenges is a positive result. Every year we encounter equipment being retained, illegally recycled or discarded outside the bakery supply chain, creating unnecessary costs and preventing valuable assets from being used as intended," said Paul Empson, general manager of Bakers Basco. "These latest figures demonstrate the effectiveness of our recovery programmes and the continued commitment of our members and investigators to protecting the bakery industry's shared equipment pool."

Beyond the financial impact, reducing attrition remains an important sustainability objective for Bakers Basco. The reusable baskets and dollies are designed to remain in circulation for many years, supporting a circular economy model that reduces waste and the need for replacement manufacturing. When equipment is lost, scrapped or illegally recycled, those environmental benefits are diminished.

Every basket and dolly that remains within the system continues to deliver value, helping to reduce waste, lower replacement costs and support a more sustainable bakery supply chain. While the challenges surrounding equipment misuse have not gone away, the latest figures demonstrate that long-term investment in recovery, education and enforcement is helping to keep attrition at consistently low levels.

The figures follow another year of targeted recovery activity by Bakers Basco investigators, who continue to work closely with industry partners, enforcement agencies and businesses across the UK to identify, recover and return equipment to the bakery supply chain.

bakersbasco.com