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Food service packaging specialist Seda UK has revealed it is expecting to save almost £170,000 annually in costs and emit 1,000 tonnes less carbon following a move to low-energy lightbulbs.

The Italian-owned firm, which is based in South Wales and is a major supplier to McDonalds and KFC, has installed 750 low-energy lights funded by a £90,000 interest-free loan from the Carbon Trust.

The lightbulb switch is part of a wider programme of eco-friendly initiatives at the five-year-old factory, which include strict rules on shutting down all non-essential electrical equipment over the weekend and heating the premises using heat recovered from compressors.

Seda UK managing director Lorenzo Angelucci said that although the food service sector was "standing up well" in the recession, it was "the responsibility of every business to address its energy consumption".

It is estimated that Seda UK will cut the annual lighting bill for its 32,000sqm facility by £168,000 and reduce carbon emissions by 993 tonnes.

Bulbs for the project have been supplier by Somar, which has already supplied packaging firms such as Automated Packaging Systems and Amcor Flexibles. http://www.packagingnews.co.uk/news/904785/light-cut-energy-costs/

Somar energy efficiency expert Keith Wyatt said: "It's encouraging to see increasing numbers of packaging companies monitoring and addressing their energy consumption needs. Seda is certainly taking a lead in embracing green technologies."