A Scottish food manufacturer has saved a reported £375,000 per year following a raft of improvements in its environmental measures, including savings on packaging.
Farne Salmon and Trout, based in Duns in the Scottish borders, produces a range of fish products. The firm is committed to tracking its recycling of polystyrene, plastic, food waste and metal and, through investment in a recycling plant, the business has turned a cost into a new revenue stream.
Between 2014 and 2016, the manufacturer reduced its waste from landfill from 60% to 3%. Farne also works with the local community to offer businesses and local people a free disposal service for cardboard and polystyrene.
Farne’s achievements were recognised with a reward at last year’s VIBES (Scottish Environment Business Awards) event.
VIBES said that by reviewing existing methods and identifying more efficient ways of working that support the environment, Farne has made “considerable” savings including £168,000 as a result of efficient tray sealing machinery which saves 13.6 tonnes of waste plastic every year.
Automising the appetiser process has also resulted in £32,000kg less raw materials being required, resulting in a saving of £100,000.
Angus Forbes, environmental manager for Farne Salmon and Trout explained, “At Farne we are committed to developing sustainable practices that not only contribute positively to the environment but also to our overall bottom line, which is evident from some of the efficiency savings we have made to date.
“The VIBES Awards really helped us quantify what we were doing, not just to the rest of business but at a wider level and have been a great way to share best practices with other organisations while meeting like-minded businesses. They have also been a great catalyst to drive on numerous other projects that are making the business more sustainable on a daily basis. Winning an award was not only a great achievement but was a fantastic way for Farne to honour the hard work and commitment of all our employees.”
Gillian Bruce, chair of the VIBES added, “Farne Salmon and Trout have positively demonstrated how small changes like tracking recycling can not only improve Scotland’s sustainability but can also benefit the business’ bottom line.”
