< PreviousRECYCLING AND WASTE MANAGEMENT© Shutterstock/LightspringWorking withfood wasteAs governments,charities andindependentorganisationsimplementmore reductiontargets, foodand drinkcompanies need toreassess how theymanage their food waste.30-32.qxp_Layout 1 19/11/2018 10:00 Page 1Food & Drink International 31www.fdiforum.netRECYCLING AND WASTE MANAGEMENTRemoval of microplastics from waterstreams using membrane technologyCrossflow Membrane Technology (CMT), renowned for its success in theremoval of bacteria, pesticides, suspended solids and colour from wastewater, isnow a practical solution in the fight against the microplastic pollution found inmost wastewater streams. CMT works as a physical barrier againstmicroplastics where the particulates cannot pass through the membrane basedon particle size, allowing only crystal clear commercially sterile, particle freewater to be discharged. All the microplastic particulates and other separatedimpurities are safely retained in a low volume controllable form ready for furthertreatment.CMT specialist Axium Process is working with companies wishing to evaluatethe benefits of membrane filtration as a treatment for wastewater and removalof microplastics. The company’s expertise is in the design, build andcommissioning of customised membrane filtration plants that can provide costeffective solutions in terms of reduced water and energy costs, recovery of chemicals, reduced effluent volumes and disposal costs. For more information, visit www.axiumprocess.com.Despite a global push forsustainability, the food and drinkindustry still has a huge food wasteproblem. Globally, according to theFood and Agriculture Organisation ofthe United Nations (FAO), approximatelyone-third of food produced is lost orwasted each year across the supplychain, primary because of spoilage,costing $1 trillion. The UK aloneproduces 10.2 million tonnes of foodwaste, 1.8 million tonnes of which comesfrom the food manufacturing sector, 1million tonnes from the hospitalitysector, 260,000 tonnes from retail and7.1 million tonnes of which comes fromhouseholds. With increasing public andgovernmental pressure on food anddrink companies to be greener, and anincreased focus on corporate socialresponsibility, it is time to consider howto reduce and reuse one’s waste,especially as it can have a positive effecton the bottom line.In the food and drink industry, wastedfood has a double negative effect onthe environment - in the production offood that goes to waste and with theemissions disposing of that foodcreates. Shockingly, according to theWorld Resource Institute, if food wastewere a country it would be emit thethird largest amount of greenhouse gas,placed behind only China and theUnited States. In response to the wasteissue, organisations and countriesaround the world are setting reductiontargets and implementing new policiesthat will unlikely be successful withouthelp from the industry. The UN, for instance, is aiming tomake a significant cut to consumer andretail food waste and reduce foodlosses throughout the food supply chainby 2030, and last year Norway’sgovernment signed an agreement tohalf food waste. In the UK, WRAPrecently unveiled its Food WasteReduction Roadmap, to which 89retailers, food producers, manufacturers,and hospitality and food servicecompanies have made commitments toat launch. The roadmap aims to: “helpthe food industry deliver the Courtauld2025 targets” - which seek to makefood and drink production moresustainable - cut greenhouse gasemissions in the industry and in foodand drink consumption, make best useof food waste, reduce food waste by20% by 2025, and help the UK achieveUN Sustainable Development Goal 12.3.The organisations signed up to theRoadmap hold the goal of halving foodwaste in their operations. In October theUK government also announced a pilotscheme currently in development, thatwill launch in 2019/20, seeking to“substantially reduce food waste fromretailers and food manufacturers.”According to WRAP, avoidable foodand drink waste is now costing foodmanufacturers £1.9bn annually. Thus onecan see waste is not only bad for theenvironment but is expensive, a scourgeon a business’s bottom line. This waste isset to become even more costly in theUK due to the ever-increasing expenseof landfill tax. In April landfill tax wasraised to £88.95/tonne, up from£86.10/tonne in 2017 and £84.40/tonnein 2016. While food and drink waste iscosting businesses, the reduction ofwaste is proving to be a worthwhileinvestment. A report from the WorldResources Institute from 2017, found thatfood waste reduction efforts at 1,200businesses across the world in foodmanufacturing, retail, restaurants andhospitality, earned 99% of companies areturn on investment and half of them a14-fold financial return on investment.Avoiding landfilling, reducing waste,and creating a more sustainablebusiness, has the added benefit ofappealing to current consumerpreferences which are more focused onenvironmental concerns than everbefore. A poll by ThoughtWorkshighlights that recycling, reducing foodwaste and ethics are now top prioritiesfor consumers over cost. By adoptingan ethical waste management strategy,one can boost a business’s publicperception and benefit from more salesand loyal customers.Specific methods have beenhighlighted for food and drinkcompanies to address the wasteproblem. The first is for food and drinkmanufacturers to eliminate or reducewaste at the source. As this is notpossible, the next option is toredistribute the food, then to recycleunavoidable waste that cannot beredistributed, send it for anaerobicdigestion to create biogas, transformfood waste into compost and to convertwaste produce into animal feed.Redistribution of surplus food and drinkas a result of overproduction, short shelf32 Á30-32.qxp_Layout 1 19/11/2018 10:00 Page 2Waste food in Dolavs to AD orre-processingRecycling food waste can demand reusable containers. Within high-risk foodproduction areas, these containers must be clean. Made in a single moulding,the Dolav Ace has no cavities so dirt and microorganisms cannot hide. This plastic pallet box can be hygienically cleaned repeatedly andcontinuously reused. Its inbuilt strength gives vital long-life durability.Confirmed by Campden BRI as “Having hygienic design”, the genuine DolavAce is widely used in food processing for product and waste.Aldi recycles supermarket food waste to anaerobic digestion (AD) andelectricity production in Dolavs. Fish auctioneer and handler, DFA, takes filletedfish by-product in Dolav Aces for animal, pet and fish food. Moseley recyclespet food waste to AD in Dolav Aces.Colour coding to separate product, by-product and waste is easy. The Aceoffers nine standard colours. Optional printed numbers or letters add more identification.For more information, visit www.uk.dolav-news.com.32 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netRECYCLING AND WASTE MANAGEMENTFish by-product to petfood, waste pet food toAD in Dolavslives, cosmetic standards or labellingerrors, has seen a significant uptick inthe UK. WRAP indicates that between2015 and 2017, the amount of foodredistributed from retailers,manufacturers, and hospitality and foodservices increased by 50%, with almost£130m of food rescued from waste. Inaddition, charitable redistribution roseby 80%. For companies looking toredistribute potential waste to charity,this is becoming much easier with appsmade to connect farmers, supermarketsand manufacturers with charities. While43,000 tonnes of surplus food arecurrently redistributed from retailersand manufacturers, a further 100,000tonnes, or 250 million meals a year, areedible but go uneaten, so improvementis still needed - though it must bementioned this is not all simply “thrownaway,” rather used to generate energythrough anaerobic digestion, or madeinto animal feed.Sending food waste to anaerobicdigestion plants to be turned intobiogas, which can then be used forelectricity and heat, is an option gainingmore traction with food and drinkcompanies. Not only a moreenvironmentally friendly way of treatingfood waste, and a cheaper alternative tolandfill and incineration, anaerobicdigestion produces renewable energyand nutrient rich biofertiliser thatfarmers can use to enrich soils, insteadof using petrochemical fertilisers. Ratherthan sending waste away to be tunedinto biogas, food and drinkmanufacturers can build facilities onsite, making a potentially expensivewaste stream into what could bevaluable revenue. In doing thismanufacturers can reduce their site’scarbon footprint, save money on energyand reduce disposal/collection costs.Criticism has risen against food anddrink firms using anaerobic digestion forwaste though, because of the amountof edible food that is sent to be madeinto biogas instead of beingredistributed to those who need it.With the increasing environmentalconsciousness of society, innovationsand start-ups combatting waste areabundant and are receiving funding.Waste milk, for example, is now beingused to create natural fibre fabric,upholstery, medical supplies and toiletroll, used coffee grounds are beingmade into bio-fertilisers, and moretechnologies - such as businessmanagement solutions - that can trackwaste and more effectively matchsupply and demand are being created,allowing manufacturers to findinefficient areas in the supply chain thatadd to their waste. While it is good tosee innovation along with an increasingnumber of food and drink companiesredistributing and recycling, there is stilla long way for the industry to go to winthe war on waste, and for thosecompanies who have not consideredmore environmentally friendly wastemanagement, the time is now, for if oneavoids the issue much longer, one mightfind oneself “named and shamed” - atthe receiving end of society’s scorn.© Shutterstock/Rudmer Zwerver30-32.qxp_Layout 1 19/11/2018 10:00 Page 3Food & Drink International 33www.fdiforum.netEND OF LINE PACKAGINGThere’s no easy means of definingend of line packaging given the depthof its capabilities and requirements. It’san industry constantly in flux, movingquickly to try and keep up withlegislation and trends, while remainingefficient enough to keep the foodindustry turning a profit. Yet it’s alsodoing this while meeting the growingrequirement for energy efficiency in thesupply chain. It is not enough nowadaysfor a product to simply be protected byits end of line packaging. For theinvestment that has been put into it, thepackaging must make the process moreefficient and – if possible – cheaper. Automation has become somethingof a buzzword, due in no small part toits ubiquity across the industry, fromprocessing, to packaging right throughto delivery. Yet, there are constantdevelopments taking place whichimprove upon current wrappingmachines, robots and rotating arms toachieve a greater efficiency, operatemore sustainably and protect bottomlines. This can be a daunting task at firstglance. How can a process which is notonly going to cost money, but alsosignificant investment in machinery –make the product cost less? The answeris simple and complex at the same time;with good planning. Simply installingshrink-wrapping machinery orpalletising processes will do little ifthere isn’t a bigger strategy behind it,as any within the industry might say.There has to be a view on everythingthat comes after the point, and what35 Á© Shutterstock/mindroom14All in onePACKAGEEnd of line packaging is arguably the most importantpart of the process, and one that many companies haveto get right on the first try. 33-39.qxp_Layout 1 19/11/2018 10:01 Page 1 33-39.qxp_Layout 1 19/11/2018 10:01 Page 2Food & Drink International 35www.fdiforum.netEND OF LINE PACKAGINGICE build ‘zero downtime’ labellingsystem The ICE team was tasked with building a ‘zero downtime’ labelling system,capable of accurately applying labels to both sides of moving secondary packs,whilst matching line throughput and running seamlessly during maintenance andconsumable changeover. The team worked hard to create a custom engineered system, comprising fourICE Vulcan direct side apply machines, two on each side of the conveyor, capableof delivering on the requirements of the customer, in the most efficient waypossible.The system, flexibly engineered with five automatic application types, matchesthe 500mm per second line throughput speed, effortlessly applying 33mm,70mm and 105mm pre-printed labels to the side of moving packs. Additionally,the systems custom software was specifically designed to make it easy for operators to use and maintain. The solution was also designed to ensure that if one applicator went into fault or needed consumable replenishment, a linked standbyapplicator could take over. For more information, visit www.interactivecoding.co.uk.tangible benefit the packaging offers.Take for example the transportationprocess itself. It is still more commonthan not for food products to betransported by road by lorry. In thesecases the biggest investment oftencomes from fuel, with the item that acompany is buying essentially being theempty space in the back of the vehicle.The problem comes from the fact thatin many cases, all of this space cannotbe utilised. The weight of products willpush down on those stacked beneaththem, often damaging products beyondwhat can be sold in a retailer. Obviouslythis is unacceptable, and thus it is notuncommon for space to go unused inthe back of a vehicle. This is emptyspace that has been paid for.Strong and rigid end of linepackaging can help prevent this,strengthening and protecting theproduct so that more of it can bestacked without damage. This can be adelicate task, least of all becausestronger material will undoubtedly bemore expensive. There is a necessity tojudge and test on how much is saved37 Á© Shutterstock/MOLPIX33-39.qxp_Layout 1 19/11/2018 10:01 Page 327 & 28 February 2019 . NEC, BirminghamREGISTER ONLINEwww.easyfairs.com/PIUK VISIT THE EVENT FOR FREE REGISTER ONLINE TODAY2IÀFLDOPHGLDSDUWQHU,QSDUWQHUVKLSZLWK It has been great to see such an array of different suppliers all under one roof. The show has been very informative, clearly laid RXWDQGZHZLOOGHÀQLWHO\FRPHDJDLQ$VKOH\/LJKWIRRW3ULQW $UWZRUN7HFKQRORJLVW0XOOHU8. ,UHODQG,WLVRXUÀUVWWLPHDWWKHVKRZDQGZHDUHreally impressed. We came to the show looking for suppliers and have had a number of leads.5HEHFFD:DONHU%UDQG0DQDJHU)ORUHWWHMeet the whole supply chain, network and learn all under one roofNEWNECCmbindl2019225295Rindd122/10/201815533-39.qxp_Layout 1 19/11/2018 10:01 Page 4Food & Drink International 37www.fdiforum.netEND OF LINE PACKAGING155Making automated top seal punnetcase loading affordable to allBrillopak has announced its ground-breaking innovation, a new affordable ultra-high-speed top seal case packer. Responding to market requests for a versatile, speedy yet affordable top seal punnetpacker, the system – priced from £87,500 – caters specifically to the fresh produce market,where productivity and profit margins are under intense pressure. Designed to match typical packhouse line speeds of top seal machines widely used inUK fresh produce packing environments, Brillopak’s new BR2 and BR5 Punnet Packermachines reach a top speed of 120 and 180 packs per minute. The concept hasimpressed several customers so much they have already placed an off-planorder.Although currently sitting in the top 10 fastest growing food industries,the fresh produce sector ranks 40th for profitability, third from thebottom of the list of all food sectors compiled by business analystPlimsoll. Since Brexit, 193 of the UK’s 1,225 leading fresh producecompanies have reportedly lost more than a quarter of their value in thelast 12 months.Capable of loading up to 180 top seal punnets and top seal trays perminute into full and half-sized crates, as well as lipped boxes, the BRPunnet Packer Series maximises throughput by collating product into a full layer, lifting and lowering in one seamless motion into the crate orbox.Designed as a versatile, standalone system, Brillopak Director David Jahn believes that the BR Punnet Packer has cracked anotherindustrial automation drawback. “A lot of case loaders feature bespoke elements and are designed around a specific line,” he said. “Thisaffects design, build, lead and installation times, plus makes projects higher risk, not to mention costlier.” For more information, visit www.brillopak.co.uk.by filling lorries further than they werebefore, and whether this takes asignificant number of vehicles off theroad. In many cases this will dependon the product itself and how fragile itis. Products more prone to breakagewill benefit more from the strongerpackaging, with biscuits being a primeexample. Biscuits typically come intubes, but these are not solid in anyway, shape or form – leading to thefragile treats snapping or crumblingwhen even the slightest pressure isplaced on them. Corrugated end ofline packaging can protect themduring transit, while also diffusing theweight of additional boxes downsupporting frames. If twice as muchcontent can be placed into a singlevehicle, then in theory it should allowfor a 50% saving on transport costs(or at least fuel). Some of the most significantdevelopments to the packagingindustry aren’t whole machines, butrather sensors. Given the increaseddemands from the industry, which39 Á© Shutterstock/MOLPIX33-39.qxp_Layout 1 19/11/2018 10:01 Page 5dŚĞh<ΖƐůĞĂĚŝŶŐƉĂĐŬĂŐŝŶŐƐƵƉƉůŝĞƌƚŽƚŚĞĨŽŽĚĂŶĚĚƌŝŶŬŝŶĚƵƐƚƌLJ͕ŽīĞƌŝŶŐĂǁŝĚĞƌĂŶŐĞŽĨƉĂĐŬĂŐŝŶŐƉƌŽĚƵĐƚƐŝŶĐůƵĚŝŶŐ͗ŝƌ^ŚŽĐŬďŽƩůĞƉĂĐŬƐWĂůůĞƚǁƌĂƉΘƐLJƐƚĞŵƐŽdžĞƐĨŽƌďŽƩůĞƐ>ĂďĞůƐan employee-owned business38 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netEND OF LINE PACKAGINGA pouch packaging machineto meet every needSN is the worldwide expert and market leader for horizontalpouch packaging machines. Knowledgeable advice, development,production and service – all these areas go hand in hand. These factsguarantee individual customer support, smooth project handling,reliable delivery times and best return on investment for its clients. The company’s mutual goal is to implement the unique andperfect solution for your business. Whether pillow or stand-uppouch, a pouch with contour, spout or reclosure-system; SN createcustom-made FFS and FS pouch packaging machines – tailoredprecisely for your requirements and your product.Its machines have output rates which start at 20 pouches perminutes for the smaller applications and rise up to several hundredpouches per minutes for the high-speed applications. Thanks to the unique ideas, innovations, decades of experienceand precise workmanship, SN guarantee each customer a machinesolution that suits. With SN there are no ready-made machines butindividual solutions of highest quality. For more information, visit www.penn-packaging.co.uk.© Shutterstock/MOLPIX33-39.qxp_Layout 1 19/11/2018 10:01 Page 6Food & Drink International 39www.fdiforum.netEND OF LINE PACKAGING UK aftersales spares and service support provided.www.robopac.co.ukRobopac, Unit 7 – 8 Highfield Parc, Highfield Road, Oakley, Bedfordshire, MK43 7TATel: 01234 825050 Fax: 01234 827070 Email: sales°ÕJÀL«>V°VTurntableWrappingMachinesRotating Arm Wrapping MachinesCase Sealers &ErectorsSelf-PropelledRobot WrappingMachinesHorizontal WrappingMachinesSee us at Stand J60need to correspond to changes inconsumer taste and habits, as well aslegislative changes, sensors need tobe up to the task. Therefore, the verylatest sensors and sensor systemsneed to be designed for complex,frequently changing tasks while alsomeeting ever more demanding brandprotection, safety and documentationrequirements.Working in conjuncture with sensorsis the use of offline case marking.Implementing such a strategy greatlyreduces the human error which in turnbolsters efficient practices anddecreases the risk of damaged goodsand loss. The ability to mark-up secondarypackaging offline meets a growingneed in today’s grocery market, wherethe emerging retail channels ofdiscount, convenience and online willaccount for all the growth over thenext 10 years as conventionalsupermarkets decline. For many foodoperators, this shift is driving a rapidrise in the complexity of their logisticsoperations as demand grows formixed cases and little-and-oftendeliveries to a wider range oflocations. With this in mind, having a supplyof boxes that are pre-marked withinformation about their contents anddestination helps minimise the chanceof human error as products reach theend of the packaging line.This balancing act must be takenfurther, however, and it’s alwaysimportant to keep the end user inmind. While saving money on fuel –and thus environmentally as well –might sound nice, the enthusiasm willrarely reach the workers in thewarehouses of supermarkets, who willnot appreciate packaging that isdifficult to get into. Rigid andunyielding end of line packaging thatmight have been good for protectingthe product from strain, will notalways be the easiest to break apartfor the shelves.Unless it is specifically designed tobe so, that is. Product displaypackaging and trays have helped tominimise this problem, with many formsof transport packaging actuallytransforming into display packs withrelative ease. To use the examples ofbiscuits again, looking back fifteenyears it’s possible to remember thatmany biscuits were hand stacked onshelves. Nowadays it is different, withmost transit packaging includingperforated lines where the top part canbe torn off or pulled back, revealing theproducts inside a branded container.This is then placed onto the shelf itself,allowing consumers to reach in andtake the product at will. This kind of innovation iscommonplace now, but wasrevolutionary at the time – not onlysaving the manufacturer time andmoney, but also the retailer. It alsoallowed manufacturers to have morecontrol over their branding andadvertising, as they could have free reinon designing the displays.33-39.qxp_Layout 1 19/11/2018 10:01 Page 7Next >