Waste
Given the increasing pressure on natural resources we want to maximise the value we can extract from our inputs and minimise our waste. Where waste cannot be avoided, we want to find ways to turn it into a resource. We have had significant success in reducing waste intensity to date. Kerry processing technologies mean that we are able to extract even greater value from raw material inputs, our organic waste is used as fertiliser or for animal feed and all food products produced by our consumer foods division which cannot be sold are donated for redistribution by our charity partners.
Having achieved a 20% reduction in waste between 2011 and 2014, Kerry committed to a further waste reduction of 12% between 2015 and 2020. In 2017, we continued to make great progress and by year end had realised an 18% reduction, surpassing both our Year 3 target and our 2020 goal.
| Waste | 2013 Base Year | 2020 Target | 2017 Target | 2017 Performance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kgs per Tonne FG | 97.05 | 85.40 | 87.16 | 79.66 |
| % Change | – | -12% | -10% | -18% |
Waste to landfill
As a Group, we continue to make progress towards achieving Zero Waste to Landfill for non-hazardous waste. Our Foods division have already achieved this goal and across the rest of the Group, just 7% of our total waste volumes currently go to landfill. We are working hard with our sites to look at ways to continue to reduce those volumes and we remain committed to achieving our 2020 goal.
Waste to Landfill
Diverted Waste 93%
Waste to Landfill 7%
Food Waste
With almost 800 million people worldwide living with hunger, it is difficult to accept that one third of the food produced each year is wasted. In addition to the social impact and the waste of resources, food waste sent to landfill contributes to higher global emissions as methane, a gas 20 times stronger than carbon dioxide, is produced as it decomposes.
Our Consumer Foods business (Kerry Foods) is one of the leading suppliers of added-value branded and customer branded chilled food products in selected European Markets. Like many food businesses, there are times when we have surplus product that meets our quality requirements but which cannot be sold.
Over the last two years we have been working with partners in the UK and Ireland to find ways to redistribute this food to those in need within local communities. Our partners in this effort, FareShare and Heart to Hand, take our surplus food and distribute it among charities and community groups who then transform it into nutritious meals for vulnerable people.
In 2017, through our partnerships with FareShare and Heart to Hand, we continued the redistribution of surplus stock and our donation of 130 tonnes of food helped provide over 290,000 meals to those in need.