Zero waste to landfill: food industry on track to meet ambition
04 November 2010
More than 90% of food and packaging waste generated at factories operated by members of the Food and Drink Federation is now being recycled or recovered, says a survey from the trade association and Defra
The survey shows companies are on track to achieve their aim of sending no food or packaging waste to landfill by 2015 – a key commitment of FDF’s Five-fold Environmental Ambition.
Of the 481,000 tonnes of food and packaging waste produced at 149 sites of FDF members in 2009, 435,000 tonnes (more than 90%) was recovered or recycled with only 43,000 tonnes (9%) sent to landfill – a significant improvement on data from previous years (16.5% was sent to landfill in 2006 and 12.5% in 2008).
Furthermore, in 2008 and 2009, manufacturers prevented more than 340,000 tonnes of food from entering the waste stream by diverting it into other uses, notably animal feed.
Lord Henley, parliamentary under-secretary at Defra, said: “We welcome the progress, demonstrated by this survey, that FDF members have made towards their ‘Five-Fold Environmental Ambition’ target of sending zero food and packaging waste to landfill from 2015. This is an excellent example of businesses taking the lead in developing effective, sustainable ways of managing their waste.”
Andrew Kuyk, FDF Director of Sustainability & Competitiveness, said: “These new evidence-based findings demonstrate beyond doubt FDF members are making a significant contribution to improving the environment by targeting those areas where they can make the biggest difference.
“The results clearly show our members are producing less waste at their sites and it's a great achievement that more than 90% of the waste that does arise is being recycled or recovered. The findings also support the work of the Coalition in its drive towards a zero waste economy.”
Contact Details and Archive...
Related Articles...
Most Viewed Articles...