Headland Foods Ltd, a local ready meal manufacturer, has made significant savings thanks to free advice from Envirowise.
The government-funded programme which helps companies become more resource efficient has advised Headland Foods on ways it could reduce its waste. Since starting the initiative they have gone from recycling very little waste to 90 per cent of all waste. The move is saving the company an incredible £250,000 a year on landfill costs, made up of reductions in the amount of landfill tax it has to pay and an extra income of £30,000 per year which it receives from recyclers.
In addition, the company, which employs 380 people at its site in Flint, also saves £100,000 per year on waste disposal costs, made up of effluent disposal charges and reduced packaging costs.
Technical Director Ray Boggiano said: 'As part our efforts to reduce the environmental impacts in a large food manufacturing business, the biggest contribution we could make was to reduce waste. We contacted Envirowise who helped us to develop a Waste Management Plan, which now forms part of our wider environmental management system. Envirowise have also assisted us via 'The Big Splash Campaign' which has resulted in significant savings in Water use and Effluent disposal costs.'
"The changes we have implemented are not just good for the environment, they also make sound economic sense."
Headland Foods set the changes in motion two years ago, along with Envirowise and Environmental Expressions a Waste Management specialist company, identifying different waste streams first at their Grimsby site and later at their Flint site. Having trained all employees in waste awareness, they established recycling zones within the factories with containers in all areas of the site for each different waste stream, including cardboard, plastic, wood, metal, scanboard and general waste. The company uses on-site bailers and compactors to store the different kinds of waste prior to collection by the appropriate recycler.
"It is not just about recycling materials but also reducing the amount of waste we produce at source," continued Ray. "We have worked with our suppliers to reduce the amount of packaging used on the raw materials we use, as well as cutting back on the amount of packaging we use on our products."
Angela Boffy, Envirowise spokesperson for Wales, said: "The success of Headland Foods' simple waste reduction methods shows just how much money businesses can save by taking simple steps to become more resource efficient. With paper and board packaging waste exceeding 4 million tonnes per year*, we are urging other businesses to follow in their footsteps in reducing unnecessary packaging and other types of waste. They could be surprised at the savings."
Welsh businesses can source free, independent, confidential advice on a wide range of issues relating to resource efficiency by calling the Envirowise Advice Line on 0800 585 794 or by visiting the Envirowise website.
Any company that is involved in design, production and distribution of packaging is invited to visit the Envirowise how much air page and enter some initial data on their packaging format and usage. Participants will then receive valuable, free guidance from Envirowise – outlining opportunities to innovate and reduce their packaging waste.
-- Ends --
Issued on behalf of Envirowise by Harrison Cowley. Media Contacts: Kathryn Squires at Harrison Cowley on 02920 344 717.
*Footnotes
- 10,280,196 tonnes of packaging waste entered the UK waste stream in 2005 (DEFRA) and 43% of the total weight of packaged waste is estimated to consist of paper and board (INCPEN )
About Envirowise
Envirowise delivers a valuable programme of confidential advice to UK businesses. This advice enables businesses to improve profitability and reduce environmental impact.
Independent, practical and proven guidance is available through the Envirowise Advice Line, information resources and on site visits* delivered by a national team of expert advisors. Each solution is driven by the specific needs of individual firms, to genuinely improve their business practices, profitability and competitiveness. Since 1994, Envirowise has helped UK industry save £1 billion.
The Envirowise program is available to any UK business completely free of charge. For more information visit the Envirowise website or call 0800 585794.
* Please note that different services are available in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales – please contact our Advice Line on 0800 585 794 for more information on whether you are eligible for a site visit.