{"id":5675,"date":"2025-12-09T16:33:06","date_gmt":"2025-12-09T16:33:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newtonimpact.com\/?page_id=5675"},"modified":"2026-01-21T13:23:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T13:23:11","slug":"reimagining-manufacturing-to-reduce-food-waste-and-redirect-surplus","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/newtonimpact.com\/en-us\/what-we-do\/consumer-goods\/reimagining-manufacturing-to-reduce-food-waste-and-redirect-surplus\/","title":{"rendered":"Reimagining manufacturing to reduce food waste and redirect surplus"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Newton x FareShare<\/p>\n

Reimagining manufacturing to reduce food waste and redirect surplus <\/h1>\n <\/hgroup>\n <\/div>\n
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How can the food and drink industry reduce waste? When it can\u2019t be prevented, how is edible food identified and redirected to people living in food poverty?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s a complex and emotive issue Newton and FareShare, the UK’s largest food waste charity, are unpicking factory-by-factory. We\u2019re then scaling the approach across the industry, with the support of the Alliance Food Sourcing collaboration.<\/p>\n

There is wastage in all manufacturing.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0a natural byproduct of the incredible UK food production\u00a0industry making high quality, safe food.\u00a0We\u2019ve\u00a0all heard of saving wonky carrots and beer companies innovating recipes to use bread crusts. These are just the\u00a0tip of the iceberg\u00a0of\u00a0what\u2019s\u00a0possible to achieve with the right thinking.<\/p>\n

As part of The Coronation Food Project, an initiative inspired by His Majesty King Charles III,\u00a0FareShare, with the support of Newton\u2019s innovative, forensic approach, is rescuing surplus food across UK supply chains and redistributing it to those needing it most.\u202f\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n \n\n\n

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The situation\u202f <\/h2>\n <\/hgroup>\n \n
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With food banks reporting record numbers of people seeking help and many struggling to afford basic necessities during the cost of living crisis, the first step was to pinpoint where in the food and drink industry the greatest gains could be made to help the most people.<\/p>\n

Retail collection is effective, but volumes are declining as retailers improve efficiency and monetise some waste streams. Manufacturing on the other hand represents a significant, untapped opportunity. While the retail industry generates 300,000 tonnes of waste food per year, the manufacturing and primary production industry produces 10 times that, over 1.9 million tonnes of waste (WRAP).<\/p>\n

However, reducing waste and redistributing edible, but unsellable, food presents a complex set of challenges which are hard to untangle.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n \n\n\n

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“Believe me, no business wants to create food waste, especially when it can go to people who need it. “<\/p>\n \n Joshua Wheeler, Senior Programme Manager <\/span>\n FareShare\u202f <\/cite>\n <\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n \n\n\n

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Trialling a new approach\u202f <\/h2>\n <\/hgroup>\n \n
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Energy and experience was required to unpick these issues and kickstart collective momentum.<\/p>\n

We first really got to know FareShare, understanding its strategic aim to use surplus, fit-for-consumption food to feed vulnerable people by supporting frontline charitable organisations that tackle the cause and not just the symptoms of poverty. We delved into the precise details of how the network collects surplus food from food companies and redistributes it to a network of nearly 8,000 charities and community groups across the UK.<\/p>\n

We quickly got to work on this good cause in one of the locations we are most at home \u2013 the factory floor for a major supermarket supplier. We used our vast experience to investigate operational hurdles such as sorting, repackaging, safe storage and transportation, as well as issues such as food standards, shelf-life constraints and quality control.<\/p>\n

We set up a trial run navigating all these issues which saw 490 tonnes of produce, equivalent to approximately 1.1 million meals, redirected to FareShare, clear evidence of the industry uniting under a common cause and proving what is possible when we all work together.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n \n\n\n

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“. This programme is a true game-changer in spotting opportunities for change and then scaling them widely to access incremental volumes of food for communities.”<\/p>\n \n Joshua Wheeler, Senior Programme Manager <\/span>\n FareShare\u202f <\/cite>\n <\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n \n\n\n

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Creating the greatest impact<\/h2>\n <\/hgroup>\n \n
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With the knowledge gained, we are scaling the approach across further retailers and suppliers.<\/p>\n

Step 1. Prioritisation<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

To spot incremental, cost effective, recurring opportunities to extract waste and provide consistent supplies of food to FareShare, we use our 24 years\u2019 experience working in 300+ factories to analyse insights generated by Newton\u2019s proprietary IoT and AI technology, as well as\u202f data sourced from factory systems, employees and managers. This enables us to prioritise our work, creating clear next steps from a complex set of variables.<\/p>\n

Step 2. Deep dive<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Based on our initial theories and Newton\u2019s experience delivering complex improvement programmes, we conduct dozens of highly focused factory walk-throughs to bring to light what needs to change and how.<\/p>\n

Step 3. Unconstrained thinking<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

We take a step back to ask questions such as:
\n\u2022 If we were designing a new factory, how would it run?
\n\u2022 For a new process, what would the steps be?
\n\u2022 Where are we today, what are the gaps and what can we do about them?<\/p>\n

Step 4. Operationalise<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

We get to understand how to make changes a reality technically but also by engaging the hearts and minds of employees.<\/p>\n

Step 5. Financial assessment<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

To ensure changes are embedded fully, they need to be based on facts and not opinions. We project the ongoing financial impact and present these to senior stakeholders to gain alignment.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n \n\n\n

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Scaling across the industry<\/h2>\n <\/hgroup>\n \n
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Based on this collaborative work, these strategies and successful proofs of concept are now being scaled to retailers and manufacturers across the UK, redirecting surplus food and improving operational sustainability:<\/p>\n

Make the business case for change<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

In\u00a0an industry with narrow margins, costs are paramount. Most food manufacturing waste is used for animal feed or anaerobic digestion, offering financial benefits. Front of mind for\u00a0Newton and\u00a0FareShare\u00a0is that interventions are financially sustainable. If we suggest extraction and distribution opportunities that increase costs\u00a0and<\/em>\u00a0reduce profits, adoption will be understandably challenging.<\/p>\n

Having developed cost projections for specific projects, our next step was to develop a cost toolkit to provide insights into the financial implications associated with saving\u00a0various types\u00a0of food in different industries. What is the impact, for instance, if all edible tinned food makes it from factories to people?<\/p>\n

This level of visibility is now being used to help engage partners and secure funding from a variety of sources. Powered by this tool, FareShare is now having practical conversations with retailers about reducing their waste in stores and across their supply chains.<\/p>\n

Challenge current systematic issues and processes<\/strong>\u202f<\/strong><\/p>\n

By looking at the details of operations with a laser focus we have found opportunities to save significant amounts of food that were consistently going to waste.<\/p>\n

For instance, during changeover when producing orange juice, juice with bits in might be washed out of a production line with smooth juice. That juice is safe to drink but has traditionally gone to waste as it cannot be sold as completely smooth or with bits.<\/p>\n

Often these types of changes are seen as being the ‘nature of the process’ and are overlooked as they happen so often. They are almost built into standards. It takes fresh thinking and industry experience to spot and solve such ingrained issues.<\/p>\n

Rethink grading and specifications<\/strong>\u202f<\/strong><\/p>\n

By working closely with the site operations team,\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0optimising grading and specification processes, rethinking the gap between what is edible and saleable, by:<\/p>\n