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Waste Reduction

Reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill is a priority for FDF. In particular FDF's Five-fold Environmental Ambition, updated in 2010, includes a target for FDF members to seek to send zero food and packaging waste from their sites to landfill at the latest by 2015.

FDF members are also committed to making a significant contribution to WRAP's Courtauld 2 target of reducing product and packaging waste in the supply chain by 5% by end of 2012 against a 2009 baseline.

Our waste' ambition reflects FDF's support for the waste hierarchy which places prevention first and disposal such as landfill last. It also reflects the fact that sending food and packaging waste to landfill not only wastes the resources used in their production but also adds to total greenhouse gas emissions through decomposition. Even though most food waste is generated by households rather than manufacturers, FDF members recognise the need to lead by example in their own operations. In 2008 FDF and Defra published the results of the first ever survey of food and packaging waste arising at FDF members' UK production sites in 2006. This was followed in 2010 by a second survey covering data for 2008 and 2009.

The 2010 report provides an updated snapshot of the amount and geographic distribution of food and packaging waste arising across FDF member sites, along with how this is being managed. Data gathered for both 2008 and 2009 was also compared to the 2006 data where feasible.

The report findings demonstrate beyond doubt that FDF is on track to meet its zero waste ambition. Of the 481,000 tonnes of food and packaging waste produced at 149 sites of FDF members in 2009, 435,000 tonnes (over 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).

WRAP's First Year Progress Report for Courtauld 2, published in December 2011 and covering achievements between 2009(baseline) and 2010, shows that there has been a 0.4% (10,000 tonnes) absolute reduction in the amount of supply chain waste arisings across all signatories, 1.1% when adjusted for changes in sales volumes.

The progress recorded by FDF member company signatories providing data for this period equates to an absolute reduction of 6.9% in supply chain waste arisings and 3.1% when changes in sales volumes are taken into account. These figures show that whilst progress overall against the supply chain waste target has been relatively modest, FDF signatory companies appear to be performing well against the target. The WRAP analysis of waste arisings also shows that the largest reduction has come from a marked shift away from landfill and other disposal options. This is further evidence of the progress being made against our zero waste to landfill target.

A report on 'Opportunities for resource efficiency in the food and drink sector' based on the findings of the waste prevention reviews conducted by WRAP in 2009 at selected sites of 13 FDF member companies has recently been published.

We are continuing to work with WRAP on support for FDF members and their supply chains in identifying ways of reducing waste from the outset – the first stage in the waste hierarchy.

FDF encourages its members to work with food charities, such as FareShare, to redistribute surplus quality food to disadvantaged people, and help prevent perfectly edible food from becoming waste.

Where waste cannot be prevented, FDF members are generally reliant upon national waste infrastructure to divert food and packaging waste to recycling and recovery and away from landfill. However national capacity for alternatives, such as anaerobic digestion, is currently relatively low and not always easily accessible by food and drink companies.

To help improve this FDF has worked with the National Industrial Symbiosis Programme (NISP) on a web based enquiry tool which seeks match members' organic waste arisings with available treatment capacity. This tool is available on the on the NISP website. We will also continue to work with WRAP and other partners to promote the development of anaerobic digestion in line with the needs of the food and drink industry, as part of the Government's Strategy and Action Plan published in Summer 2011.

More Information

• FDF Five-Fold Evironmental Ambition progress report
• FDF / DEFRA survey: Mapping Waste in the Food Industry
• Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) website
• FareShare website
• National Industrial Symbiosis Programme (NISP)