The ultimate guide on how to reduce waste in your food packaging production line
In even the most effective of production lines, food packaging companies can expect waste to be part of their daily operation. However, in today’s world, where businesses seek to decrease both their costs and their environmental footprint, reducing waste is more important than ever.
With increasing focus on eco-friendliness and manufacturers encouraged to be responsible in their day-to-day running, companies can benefit from implementing processes and procedures for cutting their waste. Plus, with manufacturers losing large amounts of money each year through waste, having these practices in place can help to reduce costs and boost the efficiency of your production line, leading to better return on investment for your business.
We’ve put together these top tips for how you can decrease the amount of waste your food packaging production makes, so that you can reap the benefits.
- Reduce packaging materials
One of the best steps you can take to reduce waste in your business is to reduce the packaging you are producing. As consumers more conscious of the environmental impact of their purchasing choices, brands can come under fire for having packaging deemed as over-excessive.
Due to this, it’s worth considering the packaging you produce and seeking solutions which use less materials. This might mean removing unnecessary packaging or rethinking the ways you package your products. By doing so, you can reduce the amount of materials you need for your production, helping you to cut both costs and waste.
- Improve your packaging
Reducing your packaging can help you to cut waste – but there are times when you won’t simply be able to reduce, particularly if doing so will compromise the food you are packaging.
If this is the case, an alternative is to improve your packaging. This might mean using innovative packaging materials which encourage less waste or utilising recycled materials to help reduce your eco-footprint. By improving packaging, you can come up with intelligent solutions to your waste management while maintaining quality.
- Calculate what you need
A common issue for manufacturers in their efforts to cut waste is that they are simply ordering too much. The best way to streamline your waste is to make sure you are ordering exactly what you need, when you need it.
Ensure that those in charge of organising your supplies are effectively forecasting the materials you need and adjusting your orders accordingly. If you order materials which are date-dependent, make sure that you can use them before they go out of date, thereby eliminating any waste in this area.
- Recover and recycle your waste
One way you can reduce your waste is to reutilise it where possible. For example, certain techniques – such as electrolysis and filtration – allow better for the recovering of waste, which can then be used again in your production process. Similarly, if your production results in ‘leftovers’ of your materials, consider if you can recycle these back into your processes.
If you have materials you can’t reuse, recycle where possible. As well as making your business more environmentally friendly, your waste could be valuable to other businesses, so consider working in partnership with others to reduce waste and costs. If going down this route, make sure you effectively sort your waste to make the process smoother.
- Keep your machines regularly maintained
Faults in your production line can lead to errors in your product, resulting in additional waste for your business. Because of this, it’s in your best interest to make sure your production line is running properly, and that any mechanical problems can be eliminated quickly.
The best way to do this is to make sure your production line and its included machines are regularly maintained. Having a machine maintenance contract in place will ensure that you are receiving frequent servicing of these, as well as giving you someone on hand should a fault appear within the line.
If you do require a fix within your line, remember to always use genuine parts. These will give you a higher quality, longer lasting fix than their pirate counterparts, which in turn will reduce any unnecessary waste from your production as a result of a broken production line.
- Reduce your energy and water usage
Another area of waste comes from the energy your production line uses. For example, does your production use more energy than is really required? Are machines left on standby when they could be turned off? Consider any ways that you can cut the amount of energy you are using or seek sources of energy that are more sustainable and effective.
Think about your use of water. Water wastage and industrial sludge make up a significant part of the waste problem many manufacturers face. Consider how much water you use and whether you can find processes which are less water dependent where possible.
Remember, your use of energy and water should be considered beyond just your production line: it should also encompass usage across the rest of your business, including offices and breakrooms.
- Train your staff
Another common reason for excess waste in production is human error. Of course, mistakes can happen, but if you are aiming to reduce waste across your business, make sure you share this ethos with your workforce.
Training is key to making sure your staff are doing everything they can to reduce waste. Make sure they know how to operate the machines they’re working on to reduce human error. Also make sure they know exactly which materials and at what amount they should be loading into the machines. It’s also important to make sure your warehouse is properly managed and labelled (including expiry dates where needed), so that staff are easily able to access the right materials before use. If you need help with your training, Yamato offer tailored training sessions that your employees can benefit from.
Reducing waste in your food packaging production line is a great way to streamline the running costs of your business as well as proactively taking steps to making your business eco-friendlier. By evaluating your existing processes and seeking alternatives, recycling materials, training your staff right and ensuring you have a regularly maintained production line, you can effectively manage and decrease your waste.