The UK milk industry has unveiled an ambitious series of targets aimed at reducing its environmental footprint.
Representatives from the milk production industry, retail and government yesterday launched the Milk Road Map in a move intended to set an example for other sectors to follow.
The industry has pledged that by 2020 half of all plastic milk bottles will be collected and recycled into new milk bottles, saving 60,000 tonnes of virgin plastic each year, while waste to landfill from dairies will be virtually eliminated and water and energy consumption reduced. Among other targets are a commitment that all tertiary packaging will be recyclable or reusable, mandatory energy benchmarking for processors will be introduced, and 40% of on-farm energy use will come from renewable sources.
The industry also aims to achieve a 20%-30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from farms compared with 1990 levels, while retailers have committed to ensure all new stores emit less carbon dioxide than existing ones.
Shoppers will not face higher prices, but will know they are buying a product made with a lower environmental impact, said a Dairy UK spokesman, adding that the initiative was an extension of work already done in the sector to address environmental concerns.
"The Milk Road Map is a step change in the way we produce, process and consume liquid milk," said Dairy UK director general Jim Begg. "Shoppers will be getting the same nutritious, tasty milk that they do now, but they will know it has a lower impact on the environment than ever before."
The Milk Road Map was produced by the Dairy Supply Chain Forum, whose members include Defra, Dairy UK, NFU, DairyCo and other sector organisations.
Its launch following a year of discussions is seen as significant as it is the first of 10 such Defra initiatives covering sectors as wide-ranging as fish, clothing, cars and toilets.
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