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FDF marks the first anniversary of its Five-fold Environmental Ambition

29/10/2008 00:00:00

Members of the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) have slashed their CO2 emissions by 17% since 1990 as part of an ambitious plan to reduce their environmental impact. The reduction means the industry has been releasing an average of 58,000 tonnes less CO2 per year since 1990 - the equivalent of taking 22,000 cars off UK roads each year.

This data is released today by FDF in a new report showing how the UK's biggest manufacturing sector is making a real difference to the environment in five key areas (1). The 17% reduction in CO2 emissions has been achieved on the back of efforts by member companies to improve energy efficiencies in their factories, boost productivity and make greater use of renewable sources of energy (2).

The results show that FDF members are on target to meet their commitment to reduce CO2 emissions by 20% by 2010, compared with 1990. As well as reducing their CO2 emissions, FDF is today announcing that its members have:

- prevented over half a million tonnes of food waste being created

- recycled or recovered 82% of the food and packaging waste created in factories;

- doubled their participation in the Courtauld Commitment on packaging

- launched the Federation House Commitment, under which 237 food and drink manufacturing sites across the UK are working to improve water efficiency

- launched the Checklist and Clause for Greener Food Transport, which is being used by 47 member companies with combined turnover of £17bn to achieve fewer and friendlier food miles.

Fiona Dawson, Chair of FDF's Sustainability and Competitiveness Steering Group and Managing Director of Mars UK Snackfood, said:"Our report demonstrates that our members are committed to making a real difference to the environment. Our achievements to date are impressive and provide a strong foundation on which we will build as we look to meet the ambitions we set ourselves in 2007. The reduction in CO2 emissions is an incredible achievement and sets us well on the way to reaching our target or cutting emissions by 20% by 2010. As with other sectors we are currently experiencing challenging economic times. However, our members remain determined to meet the commitments contained in FDF's Five-fold Environmental Ambition."

Rt. Hon Hilary Benn, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, said:"This is an impressive example of what businesses can do to improve their environmental performance by working together. We need to see more of this."

For more information, please contact Christine Welberry/ Keren McCarron/ Rebecca Wilhelm on 020 7420 7131/32/40.

Notes to Editors1.

In October 2007, FDF launched its Five-fold Environmental Ambition. This set out a bold plan for member companies to reduce their environmental impact by:

- Achieving a 20% absolute reduction in CO2 emissions by 2010 compared to 1990 and to show leadership nationally and internationally by aspiring to a 30% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2020.

- Sending zero food and packaging waste to landfill from 2015.

- Making a significant contribution to WRAP's work to achieve an absolute reduction in the level of packaging reaching households by 2010 compared to 2006 and providing more advice to consumers on how best to recycle or otherwise recover used packaging.

- Achieving significant reductions in water use to help reduce stress on the nation's water supplies and contribute to an industry-wide absolute target to reduce water use by 20% by 2020 compared to 2007.

- Embedding environmental standards in their transport practices, including contracts with hauliers as they fall for renewal, to achieve fewer and friendlier food transport miles and contribute to an absolute target for the food chain to reduce its environmental and social impacts by 20% by 2012 compared to 2002.

1. Examples of how companies have been reducing their CO2 emissions can be viewed in the 2008 Progress Report which can be viewed at: http://www.fdf.org.uk/environment_progress_report.aspx

2. The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) is the voice of the food and drink manufacturing industry - the UK's largest manufacturing sector. For more information about FDF and the industry we represent visit: www.fdf.org.uk

Supportive Quotes from Stakeholders "Protecting the environment and developing sustainable transport systems, especially where distribution is concerned, are of particular importance for us at the Department for Transport. We are very supportive of the policies being developed and pursued by FDF members such as the Greener Food Transport initiative." Jim Fitzpatrick MP, Department for Transport

"The Carbon Trust welcomes the real efforts FDF is making towards understanding greenhouse gas issues in the food sector and congratulates it on helping its member to make significant reductions in their carbon emissions. We support FDF members' commitment to attain an industry-wide target to reduce CO2 emissions by 20% by 2010 and will continue to work collaboratively with the sector to deliver the tools it needs to reach these targets - such as the PAS 2050 and our work on food and drink refrigeration emissions." Tom Delay, CEO, Carbon Trust

"The Federation House Commitment has an important role to play in helping to improve water efficiency in the food and drink industry and we are delighted to see the progress that FDF members and others have made to date. There is still a long way to go to reaching the 2020 target but Envirowise is committed to working with the industry to help them achieve their water reduction goals. The Federation House Commitment annual report will present an overview of progress one year on from the commitment and will provide a sound foundation on which to build." Dr Adrian Cole, Programme Manager, Envirowise

"FareShare welcomes and supports FDF's Five-fold Environmental Ambition and particularly their commitment to preventing food waste, which is at the top of the waste hierarchy. The use of surplus food by FareShare not only avoids waste but helps many vulnerable people who would otherwise go hungry. FareShare therefore applauds FDF's efforts to prevent food waste and is proud to have it as a strategic partner." Tony Lowe, CEO, FareShare

"WRAP is delighted with the growing number of FDF members who have signed up to the Courtauld Commitment. With their support we will continue to see less packaging being used on everyday products on our supermarket shelves, as well as identifying ways of reducing the amount of food that consumers throw away. This will be beneficial to the environment and also help save money." Liz Goodwin, Chief Executive, WRAP

Food and drink manufacturers prevent half a million tonnes of food waste

22/07/2008 00:00:00

Food and drink manufacturers prevented over half a million tonnes of food waste being created in 2006 by sending food by-products for uses such as animal feed, according to the results of a survey published today by the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) and Defra (1). Of the waste that did arise at the sites surveyed, 82% was recycled or recovered. The survey found that of the 835,000 tonnes of food and packaging waste produced at 236 production sites of FDF members’ in 2006, 686,000 tonnes were recycled or recovered in some way. Overall, only 138,000 tonnes was sent directly to landfill.

The survey results will help inform FDF’s work with the Government’s Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) to continue improving food and packaging waste prevention. The results should also serve as encouragement to the waste industry to invest in areas of the country where waste is highest and demand for new anaerobic digesters and composting capacity is likely to be strongest.Overall it will help FDF to fulfil its aspiration under its Five-fold Environmental Ambition published last October to send zero food and packaging waste to landfill from 2015 (2).

This is contributing to the Government’s goals set out in the 2007 Waste Strategy and the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit’s report ‘Food Matters: Towards a Strategy for the 21^st Century’ published earlier this month.Phil Woolas MP, Environment Minister, said:“This is very useful information from FDF. It will help the waste industry and local planners to understand where it’s worthwhile to provide facilities like anaerobic digestion, which is the key technology for material such as food waste. I chaired a meeting only this week with around fifty senior industry and NGO executives who have pledged to work with Government on ways to increase the use of anaerobic digestion. Solid facts and figures like these will be a vital way of taking that aim forward.”

Callton Young, FDF Director of Sustainability and Competitiveness, said:“The results of this survey demonstrate the level of ongoing commitment by FDF members to making a significant contribution to improving the environment, by targeting areas where they can make the biggest difference. Our members’ initiatives are preventing significant amounts of waste at their sites and it is fantastic that the vast majority of waste that does arise is already treated in an environmentally friendly way. We hope that the survey results will send a message to the waste industry to invest more in anaerobic digestion and composting capacity in line with FDF’s ambition to send zero food and packaging waste to landfill from 2015.”

Richard Swannell, Director of Retail and Organics Programmes WRAP said:“WRAP welcomes FDF establishing a base line on food waste for its members. The industry is already taking steps to recycle and recover waste. This work also shows the potential for further treatment of food waste using technology such as anaerobic digestion. WRAP will continue to work with FDF members on further waste minimisation activities and on expanding the food waste processing infrastructure through its capital grants scheme.”

For more information, please contactChristine Welberry/ Keren McCarron / Kate Turneron 020 7420 7131/32/40.

Notes to Editors:

1. Mapping Waste in the Food Industry is a survey commissioned jointly by FDF and Defra. It provides a snapshot of the level of food and packaging waste arising across FDF’s member companies during 2006 and its geographical distribution. Questionnaires were sent to all FDF members to survey their food and packaging waste arisings at food production sites in the UK for 2006, along with disposal and recovery routes for each type of waste created. A copy of the full report is available at https://www.fdf.org.uk/publicgeneral/mapping_waste_in_the_food_industry.pdf.

2. FDF, on behalf of its members, made a firm and public collective commitment to making a significant contribution to improving the environment by targeting priorities where they can make the biggest difference. Working collectively, our Five-fold Environmental Ambition is:

i. to show leadership nationally and internationally by achieving a 20% absolute reduction in CO₂emissions by 2010 compared to 1990 and aspiring to a 30% reduction by 2020
ii. to send zero food and packaging waste to landfill from 2015
iii. to make a significant contribution to WRAP’s work to achieve an absolute reduction in the level of packaging reaching households by 2010 compared to 2005. And provide more advice to consumers on how best to recycle or otherwise recover used packaging
iv. to achieve significant reductions in water use and contribute to an industry-wide absolute target set in the Food Industry Sustainability Strategy to reduce water use by 20% by 2020 compared to 2007
v. to embed environmental standards in our transport practices, including our contracts with hauliers as they fall for renewal, to achieve fewer and friendlier food transport miles. And contribute to an absolute target for the food chain to reduce its environmental and social impacts by 20% by 2012 compared to 2002.

3. Case studies of some of FDF members’ initiatives to reduce waste can be found at https://www.fdf.org.uk/environment_casestudies.aspx#item2.

Food Industry pledges fewer and friendlier food miles

15/07/2008 00:00:00

Some 40 food and drink companies have today pledged to make fewer and friendlier food transport miles, signing up to the Food and Drink Federation’s (FDF) Environmental Checklist and Clause for Greener Food Transport (1). This is the latest step by the food and drink manufacturing industry towards making a real difference to the environment as set out in FDF’s Five-fold Environmental Ambition (2).The signatories, including some of the biggest household brands in the world (3), have committed to using the ten point checklist.This embeds environmental standards right into the heart of companies’ transport practices and includes contracts with third party hauliers to achieve fewer and friendlier food miles.The Checklist dovetails with the work being done by IGD on transport collaboration.By achieving fewer and friendlier food transport miles, companies will be making a real contribution to a food chain target to reduce environmental and social impacts of domestic food transport by 20% by 2012 compared to 2002(3).Iain Ferguson, FDF President said:

“Transporting food and drink, like all other goods, has environmental and social impacts.Today FDF members are making a significant commitment to reducing these impacts, and are once again showing leadership on an important environmental agenda.The companies who have signed up to the Checklist and Clause today are the first of what we hope will be many more signatories to this commitment to achieving fewer and friendlier food transport miles.”

Jim Fitzpatrick MP, Minister for Transport said:“Protecting the environment and developing sustainable transport systems, especially where distribution is concerned, are very topical issues and especially important for us at the Department for Transport. I was therefore pleased to read about the Federation’s Five-fold Environmental Ambition. In particular I welcome its goal for fewer and friendlier food transport miles which shows commitment to a transport policy that delivers economic growth and lower carbon emissions.”Lord Rooker, Minister of State for Sustainable Food, Farming and Animal Health said:"I welcome the industry's new initiative to reduce its environmental impact through the publication of its ten point Checklist and Clause for Greener Food Transport. The food industry makes an important contribution to the success of the UK economy and it is good to see it also showing leadership in the delivery of a more sustainable future."Using best practice, as encouraged by the FDF Checklist and Clause, can help companies achieve a great deal for the environment.For example United Biscuits is avoiding 2.7m road miles per year compared to 2005 by improving the design of its transport network, vehicle use, driver training and by using satellite tracking.The company will cumulatively save about 4,700 tonnes of CO₂ up to the end of 2008.Similarly Tate & Lyle expects to avoid 2.1m road miles per year by the end of 2008 by shifting its bulk sugar distribution between its refinery in Silvertown East London and Glasgow from road to rail freight. (5)

For more information, please contact Christine Welberry/ Keren McCarron / Kate Turner on 020 7420 7131/32/40.

Notes to editors:

1. The ten point checklist covers:
I. maximising vehicle loading
II. the ratio of trailers to trucks
III. vehicle emissions standards
IV. use of vehicle tracking technology
V. reducing empty running
VI. avoiding difficult routes
VII. use of rail and shipping
VIII. participation in industry best practice fora
IX. driver training
X. vehicle maintenance.

2. FDF’s Five-fold Environmental Ambition sets out the five areas where food and drink companies feel they can make a real difference to the environment (https://www.fdf.org.uk/priorities_sus_comp.aspx). Launched in October 07, the goal is for FDF members to reduce their environmental impact in the key areas of carbon dioxide emissions, water, food waste, packaging, and food transport.

3. Set in the Food Industry Sustainability Strategy published by Defra in 2006

4. Signatories are: Antonelli Bros Ltd, apetito UK, Associated British Foods Plc, Birds Eye Iglo, Britvic, Burton’s Food Ltd, Cadbury Schweppes, Daniels Sweet Herring, Danone Waters (UK & Ireland) Ltd, Dawnfresh Seafoods Ltd, Elizabeth Shaw Ltd, General Mills UK Ltd, GlaxoSmithKline, Kellogg’s UK, Kraft Foods UK and Ireland, Macsween of Edinburgh, Mars UK, McCain Foods (GB) Ltd, Nestlé UK, Newly Weds Foods, Dr Oetker UK Ltd, PepsiCo UK, Premier Foods, Ripon Select Foods Ltd, Sara Lee Coffee & Tea UK, R.R Spinks and Son, Scot Trout Ltd, Tate & Lyle Plc, Unilever UK Ltd, Uniq Plc, United Biscuits, Virani Food Products Ltd, Warburtons Ltd, Weetabix Ltd, William Jackson Food Group, The Wrigley Company, Yakult UK Ltd, Young’s Seafood Ltd.

5. Further details of these and other case studies can be found at: https://www.fdf.org.uk/environment_casestudies.aspx#item1

Supportive Quotes from Member Companies

“apetito are delighted to support the FDF initiative on achieving ‘fewer and friendlier food transport miles’. We have already committed a multi-million pound investment into reducing the environmental impact of our road transport fleet through reduced mileage and exhaust emissions. This combined industry initiative enables us to build on this and achieve even more going forward.” apetito UK: Paul Freeston, Managing Director

“Kellogg’s has already actively developed its transportation infrastructure in line with several of the key commitments of the Government’s Food Industry Sustainability Strategy and the Food and Drink Federation Five fold commitments which tackle the environmental and social impacts of transport from field to fork and beyond. We are working very hard with retailers and freight operators to ensure vehicles moving our goods are as full as possible. One market leading example of transport optimisation is an initiative for sharing freight movements with Kimberley Clark to increase the space used on trucks. In the meantime, we have written to the Government to improve the movement of freight from road to rail, particularly to help European movement of goods and we will push for new laws for longer lorries to dramatically reduce road miles by up to 25%.” Kellogg’s UK: Greg Peterson, Managing Director

“Macsween has been at the forefront of haggis production for more than 50 years.As a family firm, it is firmly rooted in its community and understands the importance of continuity within a national and international context.Consequently, the management team takes its responsibility towards the environment extremely seriously and the company strives to continually improve its performance and go beyond minimum regulatory requirements. This approach I believe is a clear reflection of the company’s ongoing commitment to innovation, product quality and business excellence.” Macsween of Edinburgh: James Macsween, Director

“Mars in the UK is delighted to support the FDF fewer and friendlier food transport miles commitment. By maximising load fill, minimising journey distances, increasing fuel efficiency and where possible shifting from road to rail - Mars UK is committed to achieving a 20% reduction of CO₂ from transport by 2010 (base year 2006)” Mars UK: Fiona Dawson, Managing Director

“The 10 point checklist for greener food transport provides Premier Foods with a clear 'roadmap' which will assist us in developing best environmental practice within our logistics and fleet transport functions, we're pleased to be one of the first signatories supporting this policy.” Premier Foods plc: Robert Schofield, Chief Executive

“Tate & Lyle is committed to minimising its impact on the environment. As a significant user of road transportation in the UK we recognise it is our duty to ensure that high environmental standards are embedded into our transport practices. That is why we are delighted to be a part of the FDF's Commitment and to work with other companies in the food and drink industry to achieve fewer and friendlier transport miles.” Tate & Lyle Plc: Ian Bacon, Chief Executive, Sugars

"Unilever UK & Irelandare delighted to support theinitiatives by both the FDF and the IGD to reduce foods and goodsmiles. The potential economic and environmental benefitsare huge, but we can only maximise these by collaborating effectively with our retail andtransport partners. "Unilever: Dave Lewis, Chairman UK & Ireland

“UB is pleased to support the FDF's policy of greener food transport. Much can be achieved by the food industry working together on a common aim of greener transport, which is why UB is already collaborating across the supply chain with its suppliers, customers and manufacturers. This has helped us reduce our annual transport mileage by over two million miles in the last few years. UB has also made its own commitment to reduce CO₂ emissions by its vehicles by 22% by 2012. We are achieving new environmental standards to reach this goal and have so far reduced our carbon emissions by 16% since 2005.” United Biscuits: David Fish, Executive Chairman

“Wrigley is proud to be part of the FDF’s policy to drive greener food transport. Working with our 3PL partner Ceva Logistics, our customers, and suppliers, we are committed to reducing our environmental and social impacts from food transportation to contribute towards a better future.” Wrigley: Gharry Eccles, Managing Director