North London based muesli manufacturer, Alara Wholefoods, has managed to achieve what many firms are trying to achieve - it is the first food manufacturer in the UK to become a zero waste enterprise.
The firm provides 60% of all organic muesli to the UK supermarkets and employs 60 people in Kings Cross, London.
Managing director Alex Smith told MRW that all waste produced by the company is reused, composted or recycled. He said: We set up two goals three years ago. One of which was to achieve zero waste. Now, we do not throw anything away nothing is landfilled or incinerated.
We have no bin and everything from paper, plastics, waste scrap, leaves, computer equipment, broken pallets and batteries is either re-used or recycled.
Smith did acknowledge that polystyrene had the potential to cause problems in the companys continuing quest to generate zero waste. But he said that polystyrene is now broken up and re-used internally for packing.
Smith said to sceptics that achieving zero waste is achievable. It is definitely achievable and business need to look at whats coming in and reduce and recycle those materials.
Three of our waste streams are sent to compost bins but our commitment is not just to zero waste but looking at our sustainable enterprise in its entirety.
A windmill has recently been installed at the firm, which provides enough electricity to light up the workshop and garden shed. Alara is now looking towards becoming the first carbon positive food manufacturer in the UK.
Image: Alara Wholefoods
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