The UK dairy processing industry has introduced a new set of environmental targets covering packaging, single-use plastics, greenhouse gas emissions, energy and water, as the sector works toward eliminating its contribution to global warming by 2050.

The targets were developed by the Dairy Roadmap’s Processor Working Group and extend an industry sustainability program that has been operating since 2008.

Among the new requirements, processors are expected to establish Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)-approved emissions targets, eliminate unnecessary single-use plastics and improve the recyclability and sourcing of packaging.

The framework also introduces deadlines for measuring water use and developing site-specific water-risk action plans.

Packaging Strategy Moves Beyond Plastic Reduction

Packaging is one of the main areas covered by the updated targets.

By 2030, the Dairy Roadmap wants the sector to eliminate unnecessary single-use plastic and remove dyed plastic bottle caps from consumer packaging.

Packaging should also be recyclable wherever technically possible and economically viable.

For fiber-based packaging, the Roadmap is targeting 100% FSC-certified paper and board, or an equivalent certification, by 2030.

The industry is also evaluating additional targets for recycled content, with future work expected to consider initiatives including the WRAP Food & Drink Pact.

Importantly, the packaging strategy does not treat recyclability as the only environmental objective.

Processors are expected to apply the waste hierarchy, prioritizing prevention and reuse ahead of recycling, recovery and disposal. Carbon impacts should also be considered during packaging design.

This approach means replacing one packaging material with another is not necessarily sufficient. The amount of packaging used, its carbon footprint and whether a single-use format is necessary are also expected to influence future decisions.

Packaging Use Has Fallen More Than 60% Since 2008

The new targets build on substantial changes already reported by the UK dairy processing sector.

Compared with 2008, the industry says it now uses:

• More than 30% less energy to process each tonne of milk
• More than 50% less water
• More than 60% less packaging per tonne of milk

Plastic milk bottles now contain more than 30% recycled material, compared with no recycled content when the Dairy Roadmap was established.

Waste management has also changed.

More than 90% of processor waste is now recovered or recycled, compared with 62% in 2008, while less than 2% is sent to landfill, down from 24%.

These figures indicate that the next phase of the Roadmap is moving beyond the initial gains available through conventional efficiency and recycling programs toward more detailed requirements covering emissions, packaging design and resource risk.

All Processors Expected to Set Science-Based Targets

Climate requirements are also becoming more specific.

The Dairy Roadmap’s long-term objective is consistent with limiting global warming to 1.5°C and achieving zero contribution from the dairy sector to global warming by 2050.

All processors will be expected to estimate and report their Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions.

Small and medium-sized processors are expected to undertake the SBTi process and present it to their boards by the end of 2026.

By the end of 2027, all processors are expected to have SBTi-approved Scope 1 and Scope 2 targets.

Large dairy companies will face an additional requirement to establish SBTi-approved Scope 3 targets, including relevant Forest, Land and Agriculture (FLAG) targets.

The Roadmap says approximately 65% of UK milk is already within SBTi-aligned supply chains.

Water Risk Assessments Due by End of 2026

Water management is another focus of the updated program.

The sector is targeting sustainable water use, legal compliance and no serious pollution incidents.

By the end of 2026, processors are expected to measure water consumption within their operations and conduct water-risk assessments.

Those assessments will then be used to develop action plans for reducing water-related risks by the end of 2027.

The industry will examine opportunities to reduce mains water consumption through efficiency improvements, water treatment and reuse.

Processors may also participate in catchment-level initiatives where local water conditions make broader collaboration necessary.

Common Data Collection Will Track Progress

One challenge for industry-wide environmental programs is ensuring that companies measure progress consistently.

The Processor Working Group has therefore developed a new data-collection template intended to standardize reporting across participating dairy processors.

Additional guidance covering SBTi implementation and water targets is also being prepared.

Dr Emma Gregson, Dairy Roadmap Secretariat and environment manager at Dairy UK, said collaboration and continuous improvement have helped the industry reach its current position.

“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,” Gregson said.

The working group plans to review progress and consider additional targets as technology, legislation and industry requirements change.

Dairy Packaging Requirements Are Becoming More Specific

For packaging suppliers and converters, the updated targets provide a clearer indication of what large food supply chains increasingly expect from packaging development.

Reducing packaging weight remains important, but future specifications may simultaneously consider recycled content, recyclability, certified fiber sourcing, single-use plastic reduction and carbon impact.

That creates a more complex design problem than simply replacing plastic with paper or introducing recycled material.

Packaging still needs to protect dairy products, meet food-safety requirements and operate efficiently on filling and distribution systems while satisfying increasingly detailed environmental criteria.

The Dairy Roadmap’s new framework reflects that shift.

After reducing packaging consumption by more than 60% per tonne of milk since 2008, the sector is now moving toward a broader question: not only how much packaging is used, but what it is made from, whether it is necessary, where its raw materials originate and what happens to it after use.

Last Updated on 28/08/2026 by Jota Machinery