Farms, the UK’s largest independent cheese producer and milk processor, has officially opened a £1 million water recovery plant at the company’s Bruton site. The new plant, which is now fully operational, will enable Wyke to recover up to 95% of its factory wastewater.This £1.3 million investment is part of the cheese brand’s £10 million long-term sustainability plan, called 100% Green. The water recovery plant consists of a new membrane filtration system, which is installed in the effluent area of the factory and has already reduced factory water consumption by 70%. It will save Wyke Farms up to 850,000 litres of water per day and offers a certain amount of future proofing for the company, which believes climate change will make water a valuable resource at certain times of the year, so investing in cutting edge technology, rather than more water extraction or bigger incoming mains is a more sustainable approach.
The launch of its own on-site biogas plant last year saw Wyke Farms become the UK’s first national cheddar brand to be 100% self-sufficient in green energy. In addition to the Water Recovery Plant, Wyke has continued to make significant impact on further reducing its carbon emissions by fitting solar panelling across its family owned farms and cheese dairy, using electric vehicles for delivery and reducing its packaging waste.
Richard Clothier, managing director and third generation family member at Wyke Farms, says: “100% Green is an ongoing journey that we remain committed to. We are excited to be communicating our ‘green message’ this year alongside all of the other Wyke brand values that shoppers are familiar with. This will ensure that the Wyke Farms will remain a national grocery brand with a unique point of difference.”
The second phase of Wyke Farms’ Anaerobic Digester (AD) project is already in progress and is due to launch later this year. This will generate up to £2 million of upgraded biogas per year, ensuring that Wyke Farms buys no gas from grid.
Wyke Farms has been producing its Cheddar cheese for over a century and has grown to become the largest family-owned cheese maker in Britain selling over 14,000 tonnes annually.
