Food waste is a key liability for manufacturers
It is estimated that 2.3 million tons of edible food is wasted in Canada each year, costing the Canadian economy over $21 billion. And when food is wasted, so is the energy and resources used in the production and distribution process.
Add to this the effect of food rotting in landfill sites, which produces methane, a greenhouse gas 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide.
Some 20% of Canada’s food production is avoidably wasted, which sees it contribute approximately 56.5 million tonnes of Canada’s annual greenhouse gas emissions. Food discarded at the household level is still the primary contributor to the national crisis, but up to 1% of sugars and syrups and up to 10% of meat, produce and field crops are lost during one crucial part of the food chain: manufacturing.
This adds up to a simple reality: for food manufacturers, food waste isn’t just a landfill problem; it’s a financial and environmental liability. And many are beginning to take the problem seriously.
Beyond waste reduction: waste recovery
In Ontario alone, several large food and beverage companies including the likes of Nestlé, General Mills, Kellogg’s, and Kraft Heinz, have committed to publicly reducing food loss and waste from their manufacturing processes.
But combating the country’s food waste problem requires more than minimal waste reductions. To truly improve the environmental impact of the food system, the industry needs to focus on waste recovery, finding new uses for its organic matter.
Food waste is a valuable asset in the circular economy. The technology is available to turn your organic waste into raw materials for a variety of products, and there are substantial environmental, social, and economic opportunities for doing so.
So how can food manufacturers recover their food waste to help the environment — and their bottom line?
It’s easier than ever for manufacturers to recover food waste
Food manufacturers can act on the opportunity to reduce food waste in multiple ways. One major path is to work with an experienced waste management consultant who can audit your waste, identify opportunities to minimize waste, and develop a strategy for moving forward.
After a waste audit, manufacturers can assess their options for waste recovery. This is where your waste can transform from liability to asset; the more secondary uses you can find for your food waste, the more you can recoup. Many manufacturers convert their food waste into biofuels, fertilizer, textiles, and animal feed.
How PRI Environmental recovers manufacturer food waste
PRI Environmental helps manufacturers turn bakery waste into ingredients for animal feed through its partner, SPB Solutions. SPB Solutions collects bakery food waste and select other food waste streams to process into valuable ingredients for animal feed and pet food.
SPB’s internally developed processes reengineer, process, and convert the collected food waste and produces high-quality products for animal feed manufacturers.
The outcome is a win-win for all, allowing manufacturers to capture value from what is otherwise a net loss, farmers to purchase feed at affordable rates, and the planet to benefit from decreased raw material extraction and landfill content.
SPB’s simple 3-step production process involves:
- On-site collection and transportation of several different types of food waste, from potato skins to cookie crumbs — even waste that is still in its packaging. SPB’s extensive equipment and processes ensure that your waste is picked up and distributed on-time, without additional work from your end.
- Target re-engineering and processing of raw materials, including debagging and straining, raw material mixing, drying and cooling, and rigorous quality assurance.
- Sale of final product to end user, which is shipped to livestock feed mills for use by fish, poultry, or livestock. SPB’s two main products are ENERGRO®, an energy-dense feed ingredient for poultry, swine and pet food, and INGENEX, a high-fat additive for swine and poultry feed.
Dealing with food waste? Start capitalizing on it.
Download our free case study to dive deeper into how PRI Environmental, along with its partner, SPB Solution, can turn your bakery waste into nutritious animal feed, benefiting both the environment, and your organization.