Participants in a scheme run by ECR (Efficient Consumer Response) UK are well on the way to achieving targets set last autumn to prevent and recover waste in the FMCG supply chain in the UK. By thinking differently about waste when looking at products, packaging design, range and forecasting, consumer goods manufacturers and retailers have prevented 38,000 tonnes of waste from being created in the first place and redirected a further 115,000 tonnes away from landfill and sewer.

In total, 33 leading food and grocery companies announced last autumn they are voluntarily committing to prevent 75,000 tonnes of waste being created by the end of 2012. All signatories are IGD members and leading retailers, manufacturers, wholesalers or food service operators. They have signed up to the target to totally remove this volume of waste from their supply chains.

Joanne Denney-Finch, chief executive of IGD.

The industry has made great strides in recovering waste, rather than disposing of it. To drive this progress even further the companies have pledged to meet an extra target. They have challenged themselves to divert a further 150,000 tonnes of waste from disposal, mainly from landfill and sewerage, to more productive outputs such as anaerobic digestion.

The food and drink manufacturers participating in the scheme include ABF, Bakkavor Group, Coca-Cola Enterprises, Dairy Crest, Gerber Juice Company, H J Heinz, Kraft Foods, Mars Chocolate UK, Molson Coors Brewing Company (UK), Muller Dairy (UK),

Nestle UK, Northern Foods, PepsiCo UK & Ireland, Robert Wiseman Dairies, Unilever UK, United Biscuits, VION Food UK and Warburtons.

“Food and grocery businesses are constantly striving to reduce waste from their operations and the majority of the supply chain’s product and packaging waste is now recycled or recovered, rather than disposed of,” points out Joanne Denney-Finch, chief executive of IGD. “IGD has brought the industry together to draw up, commit to and deliver these challenging targets – and the industry is making great progress.”

Associated British Foods has cautioned that although further growth is expected for the coming year, following a step change in the group’s profitability last year, this will be moderated by the eventual impact of the adverse weather conditions on its UK sugar business.

In an interim management statement for the 16 weeks to January 8th 2011, ABF says that the very recent sharp rise in temperature following the prolonged period of extremely cold weather before Christmas is having an adverse effect on the quality of sugar beet still to be processed. Some 75% of the crop has been processed but the effect on the remainder is still to be determined. A further update will be provided in the pre close period trading update on February 28th 2011.

The bad weather has also delayed the final stages of construction of Vivergo’s bioethanol plant by two months and production is now expected to commence at the beginning of the new financial year.