British food and drink manufacturers have made strides towards their target of sending zero packaging waste to land refill, according to a new report by the Food and Drink Federation and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
With the zero target set for 2015, FDF members are currently recycling or recovering over 90% of their food and packaging waste generated at factories.
Of the food and packaging waste produced at 149 sites of FDF members in 2009, 435,000 tonnes was recovered or recycled and 43,000 tonnes – 9per cent of the total – sent to landfill. This compares to 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.
“This is an excellent example of businesses taking the lead in developing effective, sustainable ways of managing their waste,” said Lord Henley, Parliamentary Under-Secretary at Defra.
The zero per cent to landfill target is part of FDF’s ‘Five-Fold Environmental Ambition’. Other targets include a 30% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2020, compared with 1990 levels; a 20% reduction in water usage by 2020, compared with 2007; and reduce transport miles with the overall aim of reducing environmental and social impacts by 20% by 2012 compared with 2002.
