Material flows in livestock product utilisation

2.3.5. BY-PRODUCT DESTINATIONS

There are several destinations for poultry by-products accorded by the ABPR, and these are permitted according to the assigned Category. Only Category 2 (i.e. dead stock) and Category 3 (i.e. slaughtered in a slaughterhouse “fit for human consumption”) are relevant here.
According to data available from UKRA members the amount of poultry by-product detailed above is processed as follows.

Table 2.3.5: Current destinations for poultry based ABP’s

Destination	ABP	Blood	Feather	Dead stock & Hatchery
Direct Incineration
Co-Incineration		5,000
Rendered as Cat 2 then Fertiliser or Incinerate	20,000			25,000
Rendered as Cat 3 # (Main uses Pet food* or fertiliser **)	340,000*		55,000 **
Use in Pet Foods (as Raw Category 3)	150,000
Composting (estimated)		5,000	15,000
Biogas (estimated)		5,000
Total	510,000	15,000	70,000	25,000

Note - # Potentially useable in animal feeds if feed ban lifted
The amounts processed according to destination, agree with the overall totals shown above. However due to the reluctance of the industry to provide the data caution should be taken when using the information.
Approximately 900 million broilers per year are produced in the UK, of which a significant proportion, (approximately 45%), are not eaten directly as food. As a result, Poultry by-products are produced, amounting to approximately 900,000 tonnes per year.

Outside of the UK/EU, legislative controls on all aspects of by-products from handling, and processing to environment and use restrictions are far less onerous.

As a result of these differences, the value of Poultry by-products in the USA and Thailand are significantly higher than the UK. This difference may close in the future if there are changes to agriculture/ feed / food legislation in these countries which brings them more in line with the UK/EU.
However, social and cultural differences in Thailand (and the rest of the far-East) with regard to food ensures that their poultry industry will probably always receive higher values for what we in the UK/EU consider to be Poultry by-products.

2.4. DAIRY

2.4.1. MILK PRODUCTION IN THE UK
In order to estimate wastes and by-products, the quantity of milk being utilised in the UK for 2006 is taken from the Defra definition, as that being utilised by dairies (production, plus imports and minus exports). A comparative figure for milk production in 1995 - 1997 has been included to demonstrate changes in production.

Table 2.4.1a: Milk production in the UK, 2006

Million litres	2006	1995-97 average
Production	13,945	14,312
Imports	43	140
Exports	627	216
New supply	13,361	14,236

Source: Defra Agriculture in the UK 2006

Of the 13,361 million litres processed in 2006 (1995/97 average – 14,236), the main usage was:

Table 2.4.1b: Milk flow in the UK, 2006

			Volume
		%	Million litres	000 tonnes
Consumed on farm		0.22	29.39	30.28
Direct Sales		1.315	175.70	180.97
Delivered to dairies		98.46	13155.24	13549.90
Of which:	Consumed as a liquid	51.19	6839.50	7044.68
	Used in manufacture	48.53	6484.09	6678.62
	Dairy wastage and stock change	0.28	37.41	38.53

Source: MDC, 2007

Notes – Volumes are based upon the 2006 ‘new supply’ of milk, 13,361 million litres (table 2.4.1a)

1 litre of milk = 1.030 kg

2.4.2. MILK WASTE/BY-PRODUCTS

Table 2.4.2 estimates milk wastes and by-products that occur during milk processing (excluding water). These figures are based upon the availability of 13,155.24 million litres/13549.90 thousand tonnes of milk to dairies. Without reliable information on the volume of waste generated through direct sales and on-farm consumption, milk waste from total milk processing was not accounted for.

To this figure of 13549.90 thousand tonnes, information received from companies interviewed as part of this study was applied (shown in table 2.4.2). The information received may not have applied to all 148 milk processing plants (excluding those processing <1 million litres/year), but it is thought that this information was representative of the largest milk processing companies.

Based upon Defra and MDC figures (see table 2.4.1b) an estimated 38.53 thousand tonnes of milk waste was generated in 2006. However, as can be seen in table 2.4.2, we estimate that 280 thousand tonnes of milk waste was generated in 2006. The following are suggested as reasons for these differences:

• 
  Many assumptions have been made for each figure (and considerable ‘rounding-up’ may have affected end figures), and whilst we view the information given by our contacts as being correct, this information may not apply to all milk accounted for
  
• 
  Variations in what is defined as a waste – what may be considered as (low value) by-products by stakeholders within the dairy industry, may be defined as wastes within this report
  
• 
  To be able to work out the volumes of waste generated more thoroughly, information would need to be obtained from every processor.
  

It must also be noted, that with regards to Category 2 waste; we received considerable variation in volumes from our contacts. From information from one contact we estimate that 1315.52 tonnes of Category 2 waste occurs. However, using information from another contact, we estimate that 8119.52 tonnes of antibiotic contaminated milk is generated in a year. This variation is expected to be attributable to one processing company accounting for only milk on the processing site that meets Category 2 specifications, as category 2 milk; and the other accounting for milk collected from producers – i.e. all milk contaminated with antibiotics in tankers and on the processing site.

2.4.2.1. Calves
The Milk Development Council (MDC Breeding+) estimates that in 2006, 100,000 male dairy-bred calves were disposed of (see Annex for calculations). It must be noted that the number of calves estimated to have been disposed of at birth varies considerably depending upon the information source;

• 
  Beyond Calf Exports Stakeholders Forum estimate that in the years leading up to the lifting of the export ban in May 2006, an estimated 250,000 – 350,000 bull calves per annum (44% to 61%) were killed shortly after birth (BCESF, 2008)
  
• 
  A Compassion in World Farming report in 2006 estimated that of the male dairy calves born, 300,000 were reared for beef, 50,000 were exported live and 218,000 were killed at birth (BCESF, 2008)
  
• 
  MLC estimate 135,000 head (unrecorded calves) (MLC, 2007).
  

Given that a thorough break down has been given by the MDC, and it is viewed to be correct, their figure for 100,000 calves disposed of at birth was used in this report. It is thought that the number of calves disposed of at birth would have been lower in 2006 due to the re-opening of the export market, despite this, figures of 250,000 are viewed by many in the industry as being unrealistically high.

It must be noted that any changes in exporting of calves (i.e. the closure of the export market during FMD restrictions in 2007), has a profound affect upon the number of calves registered (and therefore kept alive), i.e. during August 2007, there was a significant drop (by 11%) in the numbers of registration applications.

2.4.2.2. Packaging Waste
The following are the types of packaging waste expected to be incurred/generated through milk processing:

• 
  HDP (High Density Polythene) bottles
  
• 
  Tetra-pack cartons
  
• 
  Chemical drums/containers
  
• 
  Shrink-wrap
  
• 
  Cardboard
  
• 
  Pallets
  

Of the packaging wastes that were measured in the Dairy Roadmap, table 2.4.2 states the estimated volumes produced in 2006. More detailed information than this was not available. These figures are based upon expected wastes from a generic liquid milk processing plant.

T
able 2.4.2.2: Plastic and steel waste occurrence, 2006

T
able 2.4.2: Milk wastes generated in 2006

Source: MLC; based upon information received from companies interviewed.

2.5. EGGS

2.5.1. EGG PRODUCTION AND WASTE IN THE UK
Contacts from the egg industry were very reluctant to give details of the amount of waste arising from the different parts of the process but we do know that these resulted in disposal charges of between £65 - £85 per tonne (from UKRA). In order to estimate the volume of waste produced, the number of laying hens and the number of eggs being produced in the UK for 2006 is taken from the Defra statistics.

Table 2.5.1a: Egg industry production and supplies – all units = million dozen

	2006	1995–97 average
Laying hens	30 million	33 million
Total Egg production	855	884
Eggs for human consumption	738	781
Eggs for hatching (home and export)	110	95
Waste	7	8

Source: Defra Agriculture in the UK 2006