Edinburgh wholesaler cuts wastage by 33%
EDINBURGH-BASED wholesaler Mark Murphy Dole has cut down on its food wastage by one third after taking part in a collaborative project.
Working alongside the Scottish Wholesale Association (SWA) and Zero Waste Scotland, the firm managed to cut back its food waste by a massive 33%.
To do so, the team at Mark Murphy Dole embarked on a six-month project in autumn 2023 focusing on four steps to tackling food waste. These included assessing its existing food waste data; measuring its food waste; analysing the findings; and developing a plan of action.
The fresh produce wholesaler said its findings revealed an unexpected savings opportunity for the firm, as the amount of food waste within the business over one month measured 1.62tonnes. This was the equivalent of 19.5tonnes in a year, representing cost savings of £11,877.
However, the true cost of this would be much higher. Once factoring in all the associated costs such as purchasing and handling, the firm estimated the wastage would cost £61,000 every year to the business.
Cora Allen, technical co-ordinator at Mark Murphy Dole, said: “Working with the SWA and Zero Waste Scotland on this food waste reduction project has given me the opportunity to develop my understanding of the barriers and limitations halting sustainable progress within commercial businesses in the food industry sector.
“I hope this experience will allow me to promote meaningful change in the future.”
As part of the project, Mark Murphy Dole introduced a Green Champion programme to help train up staff and build engagement with the project. This resulted in a 32% decline in contamination of the general waste stream when compared to the previous year, and also saw an uptick in the recycling rate of 5%.
Allen said: “Even with producers in place to reduce food waste, we found that if efforts are not made to shift the culture to match, then the effectiveness of these procedures will be limited.
“Training and staff engagement helped us change this, and its effects are not limited to the workplace.
“Our Green Champions report that following training, the started to consider ways to reduce food waste in their homes too.”
Ylva Haglund, SWA head of sustainability and engagement, said: “Thanks to a combination of interventions – from new practices to monitor and reduce food waste, to the efforts to change culture and attitudes in the organisation – Mark Murphy Dole has reduced food waste by 33%, from 2023 to 2024.
“These fantastic results show what’s possible when a business commits to measuring and monitoring their waste, and looks to tackle it in a holisitc way, making sure that all relevant policies and processes to help promote food waste reduction.
“Congratulations to Mark Murphy Dole, and thanks to Zero Waste Scotland for supporting this collaborative project with the SWA.”
