MILWAUKIE, OR — Bob’s Red Mill, known for its organic, gluten-free grain food products, partnered with the Pacific Coast Food Waste Commitment (PCFWC) and TripleWin Advisory to host a food waste reduction challenge at its Milwaukie, OR, whole grain milling and packaging facility.
The employee-owned company was the first manufacturer to sign onto the PCFWC to decrease its food waste by half by 2030. Through the partnership, Bob’s Red Mill hosted a food waste reduction challenge at its mill asking employees to submit ideas on how to reduce food waste across manufacturing, from milling and packaging to innovation and more.
Of the 176 ideas submitted, the winning solution focused on Line 10, a specific equipment piece that operates when short runs of specialty grains are in high demand. By regularly checking and adjusting Line 10 as needed, the grain buckets fill more evenly and prevent overflow that would cause product to be lost due to spilling over.
After implementing the idea over a five-week period, the audit after the implementation proved an average 71% reduction per pound and 18% reduction per case for each product manufactured on Line 10. The food waste audit and line adjustment at the Milwaukie facility, the case study notes, provides a model for other food manufacturers to create food waste reduction within their own operations within a short period of time for a minimal cost.
Read the full case study here.
