Introduction

A leading food manufacturer generated significant volumes of white starch as part of its manufacturing process.

While this co-product already had an established outlet through animal feed applications, the business recognised an opportunity to explore whether more value could be retained through alternative reuse pathways.

The objective was to identify a practical solution that moved the material into a higher-value application while maintaining operational simplicity.

The Challenge

Although white starch was already being recovered rather than disposed of, the existing route did not fully reflect the wider value potential of the material.

The business wanted to understand whether a more effective reuse application could:

• retain greater value from existing output
• create a more beneficial downstream use
• support long-term resource efficiency
• operate without disrupting existing production processes

The challenge was not the material itself, but identifying where it could deliver greater value elsewhere.

The ZRO Approach

Using Mobius’ Power BI-driven analysis, the co-product stream was assessed to better understand routing performance, material potential and alternative reuse opportunities.

This process identified a higher-value industrial reuse application for the white starch through a gelatinisation process used within manufacturing applications.

By redirecting the material into reuse pathways rather than feed applications, the business was able to retain greater value from an existing co-product stream while extending the useful life of the material.

Implementation

The project included:

• analysis of existing co-product routes
• identification of suitable reuse applications
• transition from feed to reuse pathways
• coordination of onward collection and reuse processes
• ongoing performance tracking through Mobius reporting systems

The result was a practical reuse solution built around better visibility and smarter resource allocation.

The Results

By redirecting white starch into reuse applications, the business achieved a:

57% increase in value yield

from a comparable volume of material.

At the same time:

16.1 tonnes of white starch were successfully redirected into higher-value reuse applications

This demonstrated how improved visibility and smarter routing decisions can unlock more value from existing manufacturing output.

The Outcome

Better visibility. Better outcomes.

Using data-led analysis, the business identified a higher-value reuse pathway for white starch co-products — retaining more value from the same material while extending its use within the wider manufacturing economy.

When resources stay in use, value stays higher.

This project was delivered prior to the transition of Sweetdreams Ltd to ZRO Group Ltd in June 2026.