Food and Beverage Manufacturing

Reduce waste from your operations

Reducing waste from packaging and food can lower your emissions lead increase your cost savings. Identify major waste sources and implementing strategies to prevent, reuse, or recycle more effectively.

This set of actions forms part of the Food and Beverage Manufacturing action checklist.

Key steps for SMEs to take

1. Audit
Audit waste to measure the waste your business generates.
2. Plan
Plan to reduce waste.
3. Quick wins
Achieve quick wins with waste with simple actions such as setting up a basic recycling programme.
4. Build capacity
Build capacity for longer term wins by investing in equipment to reduce errors in processing and manufacturing or make recycling more efficient and profitable (e.g. by purchasing or leasing corrugate or pallet film balers).
5. Engage
Engage your supply chain to identify waste hotspots and collaborate on waste reduction measures.

Examples of SME actions

Run a staff competition ​about waste reduction to create positive employee engagement & buy-in​.
​Reduce and optimise packaging​ to material waste.
​​​Optimize storage in warehousing​.​​​
Design green and circular products to further improve waste efficiencies.
Invest in higher quality machinery to reduce errors and therefore waste.
If using a co-manufacturer, encourage them to implement waste reduction measures.

Relevant resources

External resource

UK Business Climate Hub

For UK businesses – Guidance on reducing waste and maximising resources.

External resource

Ellen MacArthur Foundation

Guidance and case studies for circular design and insights into improving food systems.

External resource

Food Engineering’s tips on reduce food waste

An article highlighting top tips to reducing food waste during processing.

External resource

ReFED

Robust data and tools to reduce food waste across supply chains.

External resource

Upstream Solutions

Guidance on reuse systems and upstream waste prevention.

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