From small steps to big impact: how Avondale Foods cut food waste by 40% and saved an estimated £404,000

* Estimated from WRAP research into the lost sales value of food wasted in UK manufacturing sectors

Problem

A combination of internal and external factors acted as drivers for change within Avondale Foods, spurring the business to take action on food waste.

As well as economic factors, with the potential for savings and enhanced efficiencies, there was increasing expectation from customers to report and reduce food waste, helping them to achieve their Scope 3 ambitions. This was one factor in Avondale Foods signing up to the UK’s Food Waste Reduction Roadmap and engaging with WRAP.

The first step was to understand the issues by conducting a waste flow mapping exercise to identify areas and processes across the factory that generated food waste.

Solution

Following the factory waste flow mapping, Avondale Foods identified high-impact opportunities to cut food waste. By applying lean principles, enhancing staff training, and improving attention to detail, they introduced practical changes to reduce food waste and prevent it from going to landfill. This includes:

• During intake and preparation, where an automated cabbage decoring machine was introduced to minimise cabbage waste and floor washings are sieved and collected for anaerobic digestion.
• During processing, where filing controls are more closely monitored to minimise giveaway and product change over washings at machines are sieved and sent to animal feed.
• During despatch, where missed despatches are sent to food banks where possible and damaged products are sent to anaerobic digestion.

Daily “lean boards” are central to Avondale’s ongoing success. Used at both an operator and management level, the boards track waste metrics, raise issues and actions and highlight successes and failures. This approach helps focus attention of senior management on resolving issues whilst guiding team members away from old ingrained practices to new procedures.

Avondale also prioritised moving to a responsible waste contractor that could help them meet and comply with legislation and environmental requirements, while recommending innovative procedures and systems to enhance efficiencies.

Impact

Between 2019 and 2024, food waste dropped from 0.58% to 0.35%, an impressive 40% that resulted in an estimated £404,000 cost savings. Over the same period, food sold as intended increased from 92.5% to 96.1%.

All of Avondale’s unavoidable food waste has been since been diverted away from landfill to anaerobic digestion and animal feed, reducing carbon emissions. And although limited in volume due to the limited shelf life of their products, they have also started to redirect surplus food to FareShare in Northern Ireland and Food Cloud in the Republic of Ireland.

By acting on the opportunities identified in their waste flow mapping, Avondale has made an impressive 80% progress towards their 2030 food waste reduction target.

Their lean approach has transformed food waste reduction from a “project” into their everyday culture. Championed by the Operations Director, motivation and inspiration has filtered down through department managers and supervisors to operatives. Employees feel empowered knowing their actions directly contribute to sustainability, cost reductions and community benefit. It has also sparked wider conversations about responsibility, efficiency and care in other areas of the business.

This data driven approach and mindset of continuous improvement, seeking out the small changes that add up, are key pillars for sustaining success and achieving their target.

We are proud of how tackling food waste has shifted from being a “project” to becoming part of our everyday culture. It surprised us how small changes – like improved tracking, clearer communication, and team awareness – quickly added up to a meaningful impact.​

Colm Fox​, Health, Safety & Environment at Avondale Foods