Leeds-based Roberts Mart, a leading specialist in printed and flexible packaging solutions, has supplied West Yorkshire neighbour Suma Wholefoods with new form fill and seal and quad packaging made from recycled PET bottles for the Elland company's dried fruit, nuts, seeds, beans and pulses.

Roberts Mart and Suma, a workers' cooperative specialising in vegetarian, fairly traded, organic, ethical and natural products, developed the idea of rPET packaging along with Suma's Yorkshire-based packers Country Products Ltd.

The new packs for the retail and wholesale markets are 100 percent recyclable and have been launched in a variety of sizes from 100gm to 750gm for products including Turkish Sultanas, Organic Barley Grain, dried berries, Moong Dahl and Japanese Rice Crackers.

Suma team member Jon Knight said: "We are always looking to develop green solutions which help minimise our impact on the environment. We have worked with Roberts Mart for many years and have found them an excellent and innovative company to deal with. They suggested this unique packaging material for our dried foods as it fits in with our ethos and has helped us lower our carbon footprint."

This local collaboration with Suma and Country Products typifies Roberts Mart's approach to take on the challenges that its customers are faced with and to deliver workable cost-effective solutions.

Roberts Mart Sales Director Ben Roberts said: "This was the ideal packaging solution for Suma Foods. We understand the need to keep one step ahead of the competition and that is why we invest a great deal of time and money in new product development.

"We readily offer our technical developments to our customers as we believe that this provides us with a degree of differentiation from our competitors. We don't wait to be asked for a solution we offer a tangible benefit."

The family-run business employs 130 people across two sites in Leeds, at Aire Valley House based on Thornes Farm Way, and at its subsidiary company, Romar Packaging, a specialist packaging film converting business, based at Newmarket Lane on the edge of the city.

The firm counts a number of household names among its customers and in 2005 it secured the much coveted British Retail Consortium Institute of Packaging (BRC/IoP) accreditation following an inspection of its modern Aire Valley site, by the Product Authentication Inspectorate (PAI). Roberts Mart's ongoing investment - almost £13 million over the last five years on new plant and high-tec equipment at its state-of-the-art facility in Leeds - is a serious commitment by the Yorkshire based company to help food companies, such as Suma, achieve their goals.

For more information contact:
www.roberts-mart.co.uk