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This year we have been proud to team up with CCS who have found an innovative way to reduce the amount of plastic waste within the sea…

Sustainability in hospitality can mean many things. From reducing waste to being more energy efficient to enticing staff to stay within the industry, all of these are areas that are important to us as a business and we constantly look for new ways to be more sustainable.

Read more from our Chef Insight Series

Reducing plastic waste is an initiative we've been working on for some time but this year we have been proud to team up with CCS who have found an innovative way to reduce the amount of plastic waste within the sea. By offering chef jackets made from recycled plastic bottles, CCS has worked hard to create a product that is not only helping the environment but is workwear that chefs are comfortable in. Worn out Recycled Plastic Bottle (RPB) jackets can also be recycled again, and this forms part of a long-term solution to the modern-day fight against waste.

How are RPB jackets made?

• Discarded plastic bottles are gathered from coastlines and shipped to a recycling plant.
• The bottles are then dismantled and treated to remove all labelling.
• Once the bottles are dried, they are then separated so they can be shredded into small flakes.
• The flakes are then washed at high temperature and once this process is completed, they are then dried with hot air.
• Once the flakes are dried, they are then packaged to be shipped to another factory where they will be melted down and moulded into pellets.
• The pellets are then melted once more and pushed through a machine which is built up of small holes. Once the melted down pellets are passed through this machine, it becomes yarn and can then be used within any textile product that is desired, in our case a chef wear collection.

Although this collection, known as 'Chefs Against Plastic Waste', has been made from recycled plastic bottles from the ocean, these jackets have been designed specifically for chefs. It includes a fabric that has been made with a stain repellent finish making them easy to clean and iron. With chefs working in hot kitchens it's vital these jackets are breathable and perfect for a kitchen environment.

Those who visited the final of The National Chef of the Year last year may have spotted the judges and finalists wearing them, and it was inspiring to hear from some of those judges when we caught up with them at the semi-finals in Sheffield and London this year.

Chair of the NCOTY judges, Gary Jones showed his support for the initiative telling us: "It's a brilliant idea. You are taking a waste product and turning it into a commodity, and this makes so much sense."

Former winner of NCOTY and now judge of the competition, Russell Bateman couldn't tell the difference between wearing these and cotton chef jackets commenting: "We were recently introduced to the CCS new jackets which are made from recycled plastic. We love it and think it's a great idea, they feel great wearing them, they are smart, they look good, they feel good and I don't see any negatives."

And it was a huge thumbs up from another former winner and current judge, Alyn Williams who added: "I was literally blown away and I don't say that lightly. I really was impressed as you just wouldn't imagine it; the jackets feel like cotton."

Watch the full interviews with some of the biggest names in hospitality

Wiltons is the first UK restaurant to join the campaign

These jackets are already being worn by some of the UK's leading chefs. The first restaurant to join the Chefs Against Plastic Waste (CAPW) is Wiltons, the second-oldest restaurant in London. It's famous for its traditionally high standards and service and is leading the way in environmental responsibility.

Read more about the Wiltons mission to reduce plastic waste.

The Chefs Against Plastic Waste campaign hopes to raise awareness of the problem of avoidable wastefulness in the industry. Waste is only waste if you don't do something with it. Chaud Devant, the exclusive clothing supplier of CCS, is committed to developing new solutions to tackle the problem our industry faces and in addition to the chefs' jackets, is working on other garments made from recycled plastic to add to the range.

Learn more about the partnership between Lockhart Catering and CCS as part of our NCOTY sponsorship.


Comments

Lockhart Catering on 25 July 2019 10:00 AM

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