Is the dairy industry working to reduce waste to landfill?

Packaging gets a sustainable makeover

The Australian Dairy Packaging Roadmap sets out how manufacturers will progress towards 100% of dairy packaging being reusable, recyclable or compostable. The focus is on:

• Reducing single-use and unnecessary packaging
• Increasing recycled content
• Phasing out problematic materials (like polystyrene or PVC)
• Designing packaging with recycling in mind

Real-world examples:

• Norco offers 100% recycled plastic milk bottles and has reduced 215 tonnes of emissions annually through their packaging changes.
• Fonterra’s “Naked Mozz” initiative removes 330 tonnes of cardboard per year from its mozzarella transport.
• Brownes Dairy uses plant-based cartons and returnable crates and removed 180 tonnes of virgin plastic from circulation.
• Bulla has eliminated all polystyrene from its packaging and reduced wood waste by shortening ice-cream sticks.

Diverting waste from landfill

Dairy processors have already achieved 85% diversion of waste from landfill, working toward a target of 100% by 2030. This equates to about 655 garbage trucks of waste saved annually.

Examples of innovation across the sector:

• Fonterra has nearly halved its waste to landfill, introducing composting and stockfeed recovery for inedible food.
• Bega diverts 92% of waste by improving bottle quality, composting peanut shells and food scraps, and reusing peels for stockfeed.
• Noumi turns trade waste solids into animal protein supplements, sending no dairy solids to landfill.
• Kyvalley Dairy Group cut feed waste by 10% by switching to sealed grain silos.
• Brownes reduced paper waste by 13 tonnes in one year through digitised distribution systems.

Reducing food waste across the supply chain

The dairy industry is also tackling food waste head-on, with a goal to halve food waste by 2030. Through the Dairy Food Waste Action Plan, manufacturers are:

• Partnering with food rescue organisations like Foodbank, OzHarvest, and SecondBite.
• Donating millions of meals and hundreds of thousands of litres of milk.
• Investing in new technologies to repurpose processing waste into animal feed or compost.

Examples:

• Lactalis has donated 2.7 million meals and 230,000L of milk in the last two years.
• The a2 Milk Company supports school breakfast programs as well as meal donations.
• Bulla raised over $1 million with Coles and SecondBite to support food relief.

A circular mindset for the future

The dairy industry isn’t just reducing waste; it’s rethinking the entire way materials and resources are used through circular economy models. A circular economy means designing out waste, keeping materials in use for as long as possible, and regenerating natural systems.

One standout example is the Bega Circular Valley 2030 initiative, led by Bega Group in partnership with local government, businesses, universities, and the community. The goal? To transform the Bega Valley into Australia’s most circular regional economy by 2030.

Key features of the program include:

• Eliminating waste and pollution from production and packaging
• Reusing and circulating materials at their highest value — like food waste for compost or packaging for recycling
• Regenerating nature by restoring local ecosystems and supporting local farmers to adopt low-carbon, low-waste practices

Yes, the dairy industry is taking action to reduce waste to landfill, and it’s working. Through innovation, collaboration, and investment, Australian dairy manufacturers are making real progress in reducing waste to landfill and creating a more sustainable future.