Food waste remains a costly problem

According to ReFood, 20% of the 90Mt food wasted across the EU each year is created during manufacture, at a total disposal cost of over £6bn. However, Philip Simpson, commercial director of ReFood, believes this figure could be easily reduced, with a corresponding impact on companies’ bottom lines.

Simply by improving the planning, portioning, management and production in the food supply-chain, as well as making use of waste produced in other ways, Simpson believes firms could make a huge difference.

Just 36% would send waste to landfill​

Just 36% of respondents to the state-of-the-industry survey, published by our sister title Food Manufacture​ magazine last month (July) claimed their companies would be sending zero waste to landfill by 2015. Among various targets set under the Food and Drink Federation’s Five-fold Environmental Ambition, there is one to send zero food and packaging waste to landfill by 2015 at the latest.

“The waste​ [food manufacturers] generate amounts to a vast volume and reducing this figure is a key industry goal,”​ said Simpson. “Food waste is a valuable resource and one we shouldn’t simply squander. There are so many different uses for it, therefore greater planning and consideration of alternative disposal strategies, makes commercial sense.”​

With landfill tax currently levied at £80/t, there is a big incentive to recycle food waste, added Simpson. “Diverting food waste from landfill can save manufacturers up to 45% on their waste costs.”​

To assist the food industry in reducing food waste, ReFood recently launched its Vision 2020 roadmap to deliver zero food waste to landfill. The report recommends a variety of strategies to embrace sustainable alternatives, encourage behavioural change and showcase best practice examples from across the food manufacturing sector.

Tackle the issue ​

“As well as highlighting how we can tackle the issue on an industry-wide level, insight from the report identifies a number of specific factors behind the sector’s rising waste figure,”​ said Simpson. “Overweight products; trimmings, such as crusts or tomato ends; technical errors; contamination of machinery; and inconsistency within processes used, such as cooking times and temperature all seem to be contributing to the high generation of food waste.”​

While large manufacturers were making progress in this field, smaller firms still had some way to go, he added.

“Embracing a more strategic waste management approach and reducing waste across the sector is, however, relatively straightforward,”​ he said. Simpson cited Kent-based ready meal manufacturer Ferndale Foods, which last year cut its waste disposal costs by 16%.

Food manufacturing organisations can calculate how much energy and fertiliser their waste could produce, as well as carbon dioxide savings, at ReFood’s website.​