Food and drink manufacturers could identify savings of as much as 40 per cent on total waste costs by following a new step-by-step guide to conducting an on-site resource efficiency review, according to sustainable business experts Envirowise.

The Self Assessment Review for Food and Drink Manufacturers, produced by Envirowise, is aimed to help companies better understand the true cost of waste to their business and how to tackle it.

Advice includes how to conduct an effective waste ‘walk-around’ to identify site issues and key areas for improvement. It also describes how to benchmark your business against others in the sector and set realistic targets for improvement.

Matthew Rowland-Jones, food and drink specialist for Envirowise, said: “The first step towards becoming a more resource-efficient business is to understand where you are now, where you want to be and how to get there. The Self Assessment Review gives food and drink manufacturers the tools to take these steps.

“With the sector under increasing pressure to reduce its environmental impact, we hope this guide will also help businesses to achieve industry-wide targets, such as the Food Industry Sustainability Strategy (FISS), which aims to reduce waste across the industry between 15-20 per cent by 2010.”

The Envirowise guide includes advice on how to tackle common problems such as gaining management commitment for a process improvement plan or creating appropriate reporting formats. It also brings the topic to life with a case study example, taking the reader through each step of the review process.

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