What is the dairy industry doing to reduce waste?
The Australian dairy industry is working to reduce waste at every stage of the supply chain, from farms to manufacturing. This includes initiatives to recycle silage wrap, create sustainable packaging, and halve food waste by 2030.
Last updated 30/01/2025
The Australian dairy industry is committed to reducing waste from farm to manufacturing and beyond, with several actions in place to reach this goal.
Dairy processors typically produce a variety of waste types including packaging waste such as cardboard, paper, cartons and plastic, organic wastes such as sludge and reject product as well as office waste. On farm, silage wrap is a key issue due to a lack of available options for recycling in regional areas.
Through the Australian Dairy Industry Sustainability Framework, we're focused on working towards the Australian Government's commitment to all packaging being recyclable, compostable or reusable by 2025.
Packaging
A roadmap has been released to make dairy packaging more sustainable and to meet Australia's 2025 packaging targets. Developed by the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation in partnership with Dairy Australia and the Australian Dairy Products Federation, this roadmap sets the course for more sustainable packaging in the dairy industry. It contributes to a future where packaging recognises the planet’s finite resources while addressing our growing consumption.
Food waste action plan
The dairy industry is also working with Stop Food Waste Australia to develop a Dairy Sector Food Waste Action Plan. This plan, supported by the Recycling Victoria Business Support Fund, aims to reduce food waste across the dairy supply chain, contributing to the goal of halving food waste by 2030.
Silage wrap
Dairy farms use 5,000 to 10,000 tonnes of plastic annually on silage bales and covers for silage pits to preserve cut grass for animal feed. Around 5% of this plastic waste is currently recycled.
The dairy industry has set a target to recycle 100% of plastic silage wrap waste on farms by 2030 and this received a big boost in November 2020, with the award of a $965,400 grant from the Commonwealth Government’s National Product Stewardship Investment Fund.
The funding will enable the rollout of a collection and recycling system for farm plastics across Australian dairy regions and seek to minimise the environmental impact of this waste product over the next decade.
By continuing to invest in these initiatives, the dairy industry is taking important steps toward a more sustainable future. To find out more visit the Industry and Sustainability section of the website.
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