Glass bottles in a bottling plant

Manufacturing and Retail

23 Mar 23

Food manufacturing and retail supply chains have a key role to play in reducing Scotland's food waste.

It is estimated that food waste generated in the food and drink manufacturing sector costs businesses an estimated £950 per tonne.

Making improvements in this sector is imperative to achieving the Scottish Government’s target to reduce food waste in Scotland by 33% by 2025.

Managing food waste can help businesses to limit their environmental impact and improve their resources and cost efficiencies.

Manufacturing and Retail

Support for the manufacturing and retail sector

Our advice and support service can offer sector-specific guidance, tools and ongoing support as you embark on your food waste reduction journey.  Find out more about our Advice and Support Service.

To start reducing your food waste today, use our monitoring and measuring resources to manage food waste within your business. Access our guide.  

How to reduce food waste in the manufacturing sector

Our guide covers how your manufacturing business can optimise your process in three steps.

  1. Identifying areas of waste;
  2. Implementing improvements; and
  3. How to turn your waste stream into an income stream.

Circular Economy business principals apply to food waste too, and we bring you some inspirational tales about how Scottish businesses are profiting from the clever use of waste. Read about how bread, potatoes and crustacean shells are underpinning product development for Breadshare, Ogilvy Spirits, Swannay Brewery, Jaw Brew, Aulds Bakery and Pennotec. 

Guide to treating food waste on-site

Not all food waste is entirely avoidable, even when all reasonable efforts are made to prevent or redistribute waste.  Exploring anaerobic digestion, composting and wormeries as means of managing and disposing of waste responsibly and lessening environmental impact.