Helping your business become more sustainable

Sustainability is becoming an increasingly important consideration for food and drink businesses. Whether driven by customer expectations, retailer requirements, rising resource costs, emerging regulations or business growth ambitions, sustainability presents both challenges and opportunities.

As part of the wider Sustainability Service, our FREE Sustainability Training Modules provide practical guidance, tools and resources to help Welsh food and drink manufacturers take action on carbon reduction, food waste, packaging and sustainable business growth.

Why should my business invest in sustainability?

Food and drink manufacturers are operating in an increasingly complex environment. Customers, retailers, investors and policymakers are placing greater emphasis on sustainability performance, while businesses continue to face challenges relating to energy, materials, waste and resource efficiency.

Taking a proactive approach to sustainability can help your business:

Reduce operating costs and improve efficiency
Identify opportunities to reduce carbon emissions
Minimise waste and make better use of resources
Meet customer and retailer expectations
Strengthen resilience to future market and regulatory changes
Support long-term business growth and competitiveness

How to use the training modules

The training modules have been designed as flexible, on-demand learning resources that can be accessed at a time that suits you.

Each module combines a short webinar with a supporting handbook and practical and editable templates – allowing you and your team members the freedom to explore the topics most relevant to your operations and sustainability objectives.

Whether you are taking your first steps towards sustainability or building on existing activity, these modules provide practical guidance and tools to help you move forward with confidence. The modules also provide a useful resource for your team members and colleagues to access as part of their career development.

And you do not have to do it alone. Our fully funded Sustainability Service offers access to carbon assessor experts, peer learning through cluster membership, and practical resources to help you build capability, overcome challenges, and accelerate your sustainability ambitions.

Interested? Email us at SustainableFD@gov.wales

Module 1: Measuring Your Carbon Footprint & Developing a Carbon Reduction Plan

Understanding your carbon footprint is the first step towards reducing emissions and improving business efficiency.
This module explains how to measure your organisation's greenhouse gas emissions, identify key emission hotspots and develop a practical Carbon Reduction Plan. It introduces recognised carbon reporting methodologies and highlights actions that can support emissions reduction whilst delivering operational benefits.
What you'll learn:
- How to calculate a business carbon footprint
- Understanding Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions
- Identifying emissions hotspots
- Developing a Carbon Reduction Plan
- Prioritising actions and tracking progress

Download module
Module 2: Food Waste

Reducing food waste can deliver significant environmental and financial benefits for food and drink manufacturers.
This module explores the causes of food waste throughout manufacturing operations and provides practical approaches to prevention, resource efficiency and waste reduction. Businesses will learn how tackling food waste can improve profitability while supporting wider sustainability objectives.
What you'll learn:
- Understanding the true cost of food waste
- Identifying waste hotspots within operations
- Practical waste prevention techniques
- Resource efficiency opportunities
- Measuring and monitoring improvements

Module coming soon
Module 3: Food Packaging

Packaging plays an important role in protecting products, meeting customer needs and communicating brand values. It is also an area receiving increasing attention from consumers, retailers and policymakers.
This module provides practical guidance on packaging optimisation, sustainable packaging choices and evolving market and regulatory expectations. It highlights opportunities to reduce environmental impacts while maintaining product performance and supporting customer sustainability goals.
What you'll learn:
- Packaging sustainability principles and how to apply the packaging hierarchy
- Packaging optimisation opportunities
- Material selection considerations
- Emerging legislation and market trends
- Supporting customer and retailer requirements

Module coming soon
Module 4: Growing Your Business Sustainably

Sustainability and business growth go hand in hand. An effective sustainability strategy can help businesses become more competitive, resilient and attractive to customers.
This module explores how sustainability can be embedded into governance, decision-making and business planning. It highlights practical ways to identify opportunities, manage risks and create long-term value whilst responding to changing customer, retailer and regulatory expectations.
What you'll learn:
- The business case for sustainability
- Embedding sustainability into business strategy
- Identifying growth opportunities
- Managing future risks
- Building resilience and competitive advantage

Module coming soon