The programme which launched in 2022 has already repurposed 156 tonnes of unused protein powder for use inside industrial fish feed, successful the EMEA Round Financial system Transition of the Yr Award within the 2023 Sustainable Firm Awards from Environmental Finance.
Origin story
THG’s sustainability technique which launched in 2021, revolves round three key pillars: defending local weather, strengthening provide chain, and empowering folks and communities.
Inside these pillars, the initiative goals to attain objectives equivalent to zero waste to landfill throughout operations, Mark Jones, chief sustainability officer at THG tells NutraIngredients.
The brand new sustainability initiative was born from a problem recognized in 2022, with the on-site operations group recognising the necessity to discover a answer for extra protein powder inventory deemed unsellable resulting from security and high quality considerations.
Jones explains: “In the end our precedence is guaranteeing that our merchandise are protected and top quality for our customers.
“However the place the standard or the protection wasn’t met, we would have liked to search out an revolutionary strategy to redirect these merchandise away from conventional landfill or conventional waste operations.”
This led to a collaboration with waste processing firm MYGroup, which specialize in sustainable industrial disposal.
“On the subject of sustainability, a very powerful half relating to looking for these options isn’t what is going on to be essentially the most ‘razzle-dazzle’; it’s what’s going to be the very best for the setting.
“That may result in some revolutionary options, and from an operational and value perspective, for us this meant up-cycling materials into new merchandise to be reused for one more objective,” Jones explains.
The method
The surplus protein powder from MyProtein is taken to MYGroup’s services for re-manufacturing, which entails mixing it with different up-cycled components.
The precise recipe is decided by the goal feed, the place the hot button is “ensuring that there is an acceptable steadiness between the proteins, fat, carbohydrates, important nutritional vitamins and minerals, for that exact type of fish meals or livestock meals,” Jones explains.
The semi-wet ingredient combine is then pelletised and distributed, and MYGroup’s system permits the monitoring of included components and completed merchandise, so THG can hint the place the disused MyProtein has ended up.
The challenge is ongoing, with THG working to refine its present course of of information assortment and monitoring to see the precise portions of repurposed MyProtein.
Challenges
Jones explains that one of many major challenges confronted on this initiative was guaranteeing meals security requirements.
Because the Meals Requirements Company (FSA) tells NutraIngredients: “The place disposal of meals dietary supplements is critical, this have to be in accordance with related legislative necessities. These embrace necessities in relation to meals waste in meals hygiene laws.
“If a complement to be disposed of incorporates a product of animal origin Animal By-Merchandise laws is probably related for which coverage duty, together with duty for meals waste coverage, rests with Defra in England.
“Disposal should in any other case be in keeping with the necessities / licence / contract with the waste provider.”
However as Jones explains, the following steps might be to minimise waste technology by way of decreasing extra supplies on the supply, by exploring methods to mix round financial system ideas with plant-based sourcing to increase sustainable product choices.
“We wish to assist take away waste from our provide chain wherever attainable, and I believe by way of fixed innovation we are able to discover methods to deal with that drawback, which is able to assist us enhance and function in a extra clear approach.
“We wish to showcase to our clients, but in addition to our friends, what is going on to work and what hasn’t labored.
“For us, I believe relating to sustainability, transparency and collaboration is essential – so we’re very desperate to showcase issues.
“Even when issues haven’t gone effectively, it is an necessary lesson that each one of us can study, as we as an business are all making an attempt to work in direction of the identical objectives.”
