Dairy processors across the UK have committed to a suite of “ambitious” sustainability goals aimed at reducing the industry’s environmental impact. The new targets, outlined by The Dairy Roadmap’s Processor Working Group, focus on three primary areas: climate change and energy, water usage, and plastics and packaging.
Plastic and Packaging Goals
The roadmap aims to eliminate unnecessary single-use plastic and maximize recycled content. By 2030, the sector intends to remove dyed plastic bottle caps. All packaging must be recyclable where possible, and 100% of paper and card must be FSC-certified or equivalent.
These packaging requirements focus on economic viability alongside environmental benefit. The targets also emphasize minimizing the carbon impact associated with materials.
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Climate and Emissions Targets
On climate change, the roadmap seeks to limit global warming to 1.5°C. The ultimate goal is to achieve a zero contribution from the dairy sector towards global warming by 2050. To get there, new processor targets will increase measurement, transparency, and action on emissions.
All processors are required to estimate and report their Scope 1 and 2 emissions by a specific deadline. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) must undertake the Science Based Targets initiative and present their findings to their boards by the end of 2026. All processors are then required to set SBTi-approved Scope 1 and 2 targets by the end of 2027. Large organizations face a similar deadline for setting Scope 3 targets, including Forest, Land, and Agriculture targets, also by the end of 2027.
For these emission goals to work in practice, the actual reduction of carbon output must translate from paper commitments into on-site changes. Processors will need to invest in cleaner energy sources and update equipment to meet these strict reporting standards, meaning the financial burden of compliance will fall directly on the industry operators.
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Water Management
The sector aims for no serious pollution incidents and full compliance with legislation. The strategy focuses on sustainable water use and the best possible treatment of wastewater, including reuse where possible.
Processors must measure their water usage and complete a water risk assessment by the end of 2026. They are also required to develop an action plan to reduce water risk by the end of 2027. The roadmap adds that the sector will focus on reducing reliance on mains water through efficiency and reuse while engaging with catchment level projects.
Dr Emma Gregson, the Dairy Roadmap secretariat and environment manager at Dairy UK, stated, “The UK dairy sector is in a strong position thanks to pre-competitive collaboration and an emphasis on continuous improvement.” She added, “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.”