Preliminary results from the 2015 Dairy UK Environmental Benchmarking Report show that dairy processors have achieved a 15% increase in energy efficiency since 2008, meaning they are just steps away from meeting the Climate Change Agreements and Dairy Roadmap 2020 targets of 13.6% and 15% respectively.
The report also details the significant progress made in waste management. Processors attained a 22% reduction in the amount of waste sent to landfill per tonne of product input and demonstrated an 18% increase in the amount of waste recycled or recovered per tonne of product input.
The main findings of the 2015 benchmarking report are:
Joanna Stewart, Environmental Manager at Dairy UK, said: "The report sends a very positive message and reiterates the UK dairy industry's commitment to tackling the environmental challenges of food production. These results are particularly impressive given that the throughput of the reporting sites increased by 23% in the same period.
"The Benchmarking Tool is a valuable resource for processors to track their performance and identify areas for improvement. The UK dairy processing sector is on track to meet its Dairy Roadmap targets and processors will continue to make every effort to reach the next step."
*discharge of liquid waste from processing site
