Dairy sector reveals packaging usage in sustainability report

Dairy UK’s first sustainability report, which has been published ahead of a climate change summit in Copenhagen in December, includes a range of data showing the sector’s energy, water and packaging use and waste.

UK dairy firms use 116,564 tonnes of packaging a year, of which some 87% is plastic and cardboard. At the moment, 3,369 tonnes of recycled material is used, the equivalent of one bottle in four containing 10% recycled content.

But the report authors said the sector was “on target to reach 10% by the end of 2010″.

In July, the sector was forced to hit back at claims it was slow to adopt recycled content in its packaging.

The reportincludes a number of case studies on dairy packaging development, for example Dairy Crest’s work with Nampak Plastics and Greenstar WES to increase recycled content.

Dairy Crest innovation controller Richard Pryor said: “Up to 13,000 tonnes of virgin plastic could be saved each year by using recycled plastic in new milk bottles.”

Dairy UK also highlighted First Milk’s work to reduce packaging on Tesco own-label cheese by replacing adhesive labels with direct printing on film that has, in turn, been made thinner by 15%.

Jim Begg, Dairy UK director general, said the aim of the report was to demonstrate the dairy industry’s efforts to address its impact on the environment. “We won’t shy away from our responsibilities, but it must also be clear that dairy is an efficient source of quality nutrition,” he said.

DAIRY INDUSTRY PACKAGING USE
(tonnes)

Cardboard 47,210
Carton 3,481
Foil 635
Glass 476
Metal 807
Paper 8,009
Plastic 54,460
Other 1,486
Total 116,564

Click here for today’s headlines from across the packaging industry

Popular Articles