Highlights
- Signed a Resource Efficiency Pledge with Resource Efficient Scotland.
- Co-authored a “Reasonable and Sustainable Aquaculture policy” that all their fish suppliers have to sign up to.
- Reduced overall water use per ton of salmon processed from 11.2 tonnes to 10.0 tonnes.
- Saving over 13,300 tonnes water per annum.
- Streamlined manufacturing process resulting in 32 tonnes/year less raw materials usage.
- Upgrade and redesign of salt application machinery reduced salt usage by 355 tons/year.
- Efficient tray sealing machinery saved 13.6 tonnes of waste plastic/year with efficiency savings of £168,000 per annum.
- Establishment of a Green team and a Sustainability team.
Based in Duns in the South of Scotland, Farne Salmon and Trout’s main business activity is the manufacture of smoked salmon, cooked salmon, value added salmon and other fish species products. Its principle customers are UK high street retailers but it also exports to key customers on the continent and has more recently started exporting into Eastern European and Far Eastern markets. Farne Salmon and Trout combine environmental benefits with innovation to provide an exemplar in the food and drink sector.
The VIBES Management Award recognises businesses whose management systems deliver continuous improvement in environmental performance. The category is aimed at businesses that are taking a holistic approach to environmental improvement and can demonstrate the associated economic and social benefits that have been achieved.
Farne Salmon is a good example of a business that works with its employees, community and supply chain to be more sustainable.
An Environmental Management System is in place, which includes an environmental policy. This environmental policy sets the framework for reviewing environmental objectives and targets. This policy is reviewed regularly and is endorsed by the managing director who has direct responsibility for its implementation and has the backing of all managers, staff, and process operators and in particular the Environmental Manager.
Farne Salmon monitor environmental and economical improvements on a daily and monthly basis, which is used in key decision-making. Data is used to monitor processes on site to identify step changes in consumption or usage, which often highlight areas where maintenance may be required or areas where efficiencies could be made. The judges were impressed with the process of “A3’s” which track the progress of innovations from the idea phase to
implementation and roll out.
Charts track the company’s recycling of polystyrene, cardboard, plastic, food waste, and metal over a number of years to the point, which their recycling program now provides the company with approximately £60k profit per year. Investment has been made in the recycling plant, which has turned a cost into an income - in 2011-2012 waste disposal costs were £13,228 whereas in 2015-2016 the income surplus was £63,701. Through their recycling facility Farne offer local businesses and the community a free disposal service for cardboard and polystyrene.
Angus Forbes, Environmental Manager, Farne Salmon and Trout Ltd: “The VIBES awards have encouraged Farne to highlight and quantify the many environmental and resource based initiatives we have actioned over the last three years and have been a fantastic catalyst to drive on numerous other projects that are making the business more sustainable on a daily basis. Receiving this award has been a worthwhile and appropriate way to honour all our employees for doing yet another great job.”