Engage staff to cut waste: Dairy boss

03-Apr-2013 - Last updated on 19-Aug-2020 at 08:35 GMT

Related tags Recycling

Savings on a plate. Rodda's have recorded a 17% waste reduction in the past 12 months

Engaging staff and treating machines like marathon runners are the keys to reducing waste, according to dairy firm Rodda’s.

Rodda’s operations manager Chris Quelch told FoodManufacture.co.uk ̶ in this exclusive podcast ̶ helping staff understand the sources of waste was the first step to cutting it.

Quelch ̶ who steered Rodda’s to a 17% waste reduction over the past 12 months ̶ also explained how Rodda’s limited its waste and what other food firms need to do to reduce its waste.

'Treat machines like marathon runners'

Quelch said that firms should challenge everything they throw away to ensure they are not disposing of something that can be recycled.

He also said manufacturers should treat their machines like marathon runners, not sprinters to reduce energy wastage.

“[For a] sprinter it’s all over in a very short time and they’re knackered,” said Quelch “A marathon runner keeps going, the equipment is the same. If you knock it back and just keep it running you’ll find it’s more efficient in the long run and you’ll have a lot less wastage out of your plant.”