One of the UK’s largest dairy firms First Milk has achieved its target of sending zero process and packaging waste to landfill.
First Milk is the UK’s largest dairy co-operative and is 100 per cent owned by farmers. It producers a quarter of all the cheddar cheese in the UK and is the largest supplier of raw milk.
In its latest sustainability report for 2013, the company revealed that along with sending zero waste to landfill from its manufacturing sites, it has also sought solutions to reduce food waste in the supply chain including with consumers, as well as reducing packaging waste on its own brands such as Lake District cheese and Frumoo drinks.
The company has also introduced new equipment into its Campbeltown Creamery to process whey that was once a waste product into an ingredient for the food chain.
While the why stream at its Lake District Creamery is converted into an 80 per cent whey protein concentrate as part of its joint venture with dairy firm Fonterra.
With 1,600 farmers across the UK part of the co-operative, it has also arranged joint haulage and milk swap initiatives to reduce transport by 422,000 miles and 75 per cent of its tanker fleet are fitted with recycled rubber tyres, saving 68 litres of oil per new tyre.
First Milk chief executive Kate Allum (pictured) said: “We look constantly to improve the economic, environmental and ethical sustainability of our supply chain – learning from best practice in dairy around the world and in other industries.
“We are also involved in a number of pan-industry initiatives. The leading role we playing in the latest version of the Dairy Roadmap is just one example.”
