Mexican Food Company Switching to Biodegradable Packaging

bimbo bread

Grupo Bimbo, Mexico's largest producer of baked goods, announced this week it will be replacing its plastic packaging with a new biodegradable plastic in all main supermarkets and retail outlets in Mexico City.

The new plastic packaging is oxo-biodegradable and contains an additive made by the British company Symphony Technologies. Oxo-biodegradation is a two-stage process where the breakdown and release of carbon dioxide, water and biomass is accelerated. Instead of taking years to biodegrade, the plastic breaks down within a few months
on land or in water leaving no fragments or harmful residues, according to Symphony.

Grupo Bimbo, which produces more than 5,000 bakery products, from loaves and pastries to cookies, chocolates and sweet and salted snacks, hopes that the biodegradable plastic will help to offset its contribution to the 10 million cubic meters of waste generated every month in Mexico.

Grupo Bimbo operations director Ramón Rivera said the additive will initially be used for white bread packaging, followed by pastries. Eventually all of the firm's products sold in Mexico and the rest of Latin America will be in biodegradable packaging.

According to Reuters, Brazil, Argentina and the city of Delhi, India are developing legislation requiring shopping bags to be degradable.:: Via Teorema (Spanish link)

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