The new targets, presented by The Dairy Roadmap’s Processor Working Group, focus on three critical areas: climate change and energy, water and plastics and packaging.
Its ambition is to eliminate unnecessary single-use plastic, maximise recycled content and improve recyclability, while minimising carbon impact.
The new targets are for all packaging to be recyclable where possible and economically viable; for 100% of paper and card to be FSC certified or equivalent, and to remove dyed plastic bottle caps from consumer packaging by 2030.
The industry is also considering future targets for recycled content of packaging, aligned with initiatives such as the WRAP Food & Drink Pact, the organisation said.
It said that packaging decisions will be guided by the waste hierarchy, prioritising prevention and reuse, followed by recycling, recovery and disposal. The carbon footprint of packaging will increasingly be considered in product design and the necessity of single use plastics regularly assessed.
On climate change it’s ambition is to limit global warming to 1.5°C and achieve zero contribution from the dairy sector towards global warming by 2050.
New processor targets will increase measurement, transparency and action on emissions.
It will mean that all processors will need to estimate and report their Scope 1 and 2 emissions.
SMEs are to undertake the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and present this to their boards by the end of 2026, with all processors to set SBTi-approved Scope 1 and 2 targets by the end of 2027.
Large organisations will need to set SBTi-approved Scope 3 targets, including Forest, Land, and Agriculture (FLAG) targets, by the end of 2027.
The Dairy Roadmap’s said its end goal for water is for there to be no serious pollution incidents, compliance with legislation, sustainable water use and the best possible treatment and use of wastewater including reuse where possible.
All processors will need to measure water usage within their own operations, undertake a water risk assessment that will help to develop a local action plan by the end of 2026 and develop an action plan to reduce water risk by the end of 2027.
The sector will also focus on reducing water usage and reliance on mains water through improved education, efficiency, treatment and reuse, while engaging with catchment level projects where appropriate.
Dr Emma Gregson, Dairy Roadmap Secretariat and Environment Manager at Dairy UK, said: “The UK dairy sector is in a strong position thanks to pre-competitive collaboration and an emphasis on continuous improvement.
“The next phase is about continuing to set challenging but realistic targets, streamlining data collection to track progress and sharing what works so the whole sector can move forward together.”
