Bakers Basco: stopping crime one basket at a time - why speaking up matters

By Stacey Brown, National Investigations Manager, Bakers Basco

Most people would never imagine that a simple plastic bread basket could sit at the centre of organised crime. 

Yet every day across the UK, Bakers Basco’s distinctive brown baskets and dollies, used by major bakeries to deliver fresh bread to supermarkets and shops, are being stolen, illegally recycled and sold on for profit.

What might look like a victimless crime is anything but.

Behind the theft and unlawful recycling of this equipment lies a much darker picture: organised criminal networks, illegal waste sites, modern slavery, money laundering and environmental harm. That is why Bakers Basco has partnered with Crimestoppers to encourage people to speak up and help stop these activities.

More than just plastic crates

Bakers Basco equipment is a vital part of the UK food supply chain. Our baskets and dollies are reused thousands of times to transport bread safely and hygienically from bakeries to retailers. They are not waste – they are working assets. When that equipment is stolen or unlawfully recycled, the impact is felt across the whole sector.

Bakeries have to replace lost stock at huge cost. Retailers face supply chain disruption. Prices can rise. And the environmental benefits of a reusable system are undermined when perfectly good equipment is shredded for plastic chippings.

Over the last few years, the problem has grown significantly. Criminals see our equipment as an easy target – a source of high-quality plastic that can be quickly turned into cash. But the issue doesn’t stop at theft.

A gateway to serious crime

Illegal recyclers who handle stolen bakery equipment rarely operate in isolation.

Through our investigations with law enforcement, we regularly see links between unlawful recycling sites and a range of other criminal activities, including:

• Modern slavery and exploitation – vulnerable workers forced to work in unsafe, unregulated conditions
• Money laundering – criminal profits from stolen goods being cleaned through seemingly legitimate businesses
• Energy theft – illegal electricity connections powering recycling machinery
• Environmental crime – unlicensed waste processing, pollution and unsafe storage of materials

These are not legitimate businesses making an honest living. They are organised criminal enterprises profiting from theft and exploitation. And communities pay the price.

Illegal recycling sites often bring noise, pollution, fire risks and anti-social behaviour into local areas. Workers are put at risk. Legitimate recycling businesses are undercut. And criminals grow bolder as long as they believe no one will challenge them.

Why we partnered with Crimestoppers

Bakers Basco has been tackling equipment theft for many years through recovery teams, legal action and close cooperation with police forces around the country.

But we cannot do it alone. Criminal operations rely on fear. They thrive when people feel unable or unwilling to report what they know. 

That is why our partnership with Crimestoppers is so important. Crimestoppers provides a completely anonymous way for people to share information about crime – whether they are members of the public, workers in the waste sector, or people who simply suspect something isn’t right in their local area. You don’t have to give your name. Your phone number and IP cannot be identified. You don’t have to go to court. You just share what you know.

That information can be the missing piece that allows investigators to shut down illegal sites, recover stolen equipment and protect vulnerable people.

A clear call to action

We urgently ask the public that if they come across Bakers Basco baskets, trays or dollies being stored, processed or sold by anyone other than legitimate bakeries or authorised partners, to report it.

If you know of a yard or warehouse where bakery equipment is being crushed, shredded or melted down – that is almost certainly illegal. If you suspect workers are being exploited, or a recycling operation doesn’t look quite right, please speak up.

You can report information in two ways:

• Contact Bakers Basco directly to help us recover stolen equipment.
• Contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via the quick & easy online form, here on their website, to report concerns about illegal recycling and associated criminal activity.

The real-world impact of speaking up

We know that public intelligence works. Tips from vigilant members of the public and industry insiders have already led to successful raids, equipment seizures and criminal investigations across the country. Every basket returned to the system is a small victory. Every illegal site shut down makes communities safer. And every anonymous call makes it harder for organised criminals to profit.

Looking ahead

In the coming months, Bakers Basco will continue to work closely with CrimeStoppers and law enforcement to shine a spotlight on the illegal recycling and disposal of bakery equipment.

We are also gathering evidence on a number of active cases involving unlawful recycling sites. As these investigations progress, we hope to share more details to further raise awareness of the scale of the issue and the real harm it causes. 

But we don’t need to wait for major prosecutions to act. Right now, people across the UK have information that could make a difference. If something doesn’t look right – it probably isn’t. And by picking up the phone or going online to Crimestoppers, you can help stop crime, protect communities and ensure that a simple bread basket doesn’t continue to fund serious criminal activity. Speak up. Stay safe.

To report anonymously:

• Call  0800 555 111, any time of the day or night, any day of the year. Or fill in the online form, here on the website. You will stay 100% anonymous. Always.
• To report stolen Bakers Basco equipment:
  Contact the Bakers Basco Recovery Team: 0800 917 9931

27 February 2026