Climate
Efficient Collection of Fallen Stock
Case Study 11
How digital systems are transforming farm biosecurity and the safe, timely collection of fallen stock across Europe.
The Challenge of Fallen Stock Collection
The collection and disposal of fallen stock without undue delay is an important component of farm biosecurity in both normal and disease outbreak scenarios.
Like all animal by-products, fallen stock is highly perishable, especially when not chilled, and poses a high risk of spreading animal diseases or zoonosis if not safely managed. Organising a quick and safe collection of fallen stock from the farm and transport to the processing plants is therefore an important step.
Fixed Schedule Collections
Collection of animal by-products from slaughterhouses, cutting plants, butcher shops, or retailers are normally organised on fixed daily schedules.
Ad Hoc Farm Collections
The collection of fallen stock from farms is an ad hoc service which must be well organised to ensure timely collection — making it far more complex to manage efficiently.
The Old Way
Most service providers now use a digital system that has transformed fallen stock collection. Before this, farmers had to telephone or fax the collector to report their fallen stock and request a collection. Collection orders were printed and manually sorted into the different regions and passed to the truck drivers who were responsible for devising the best routes to pick up their orders. Further administration was required at the end of the day to check and record all the paperwork from the collection rounds.
Benefits for the Farmer
Digital collection systems have dramatically simplified the process for farmers, removing the burden of manual reporting and waiting for confirmation.
Takes Seconds
Sending a job to the collector takes only seconds — no phone calls, no faxes, no waiting on hold.
Simple & Easy to Use
The system is designed to be intuitive and straightforward, requiring no technical expertise from the farmer.
Free Booking Service
The booking service is provided free of charge to farmers, removing any financial barrier to timely reporting.
Benefits for the Collector
The digital system delivers significant operational advantages for collection service providers, streamlining every stage from order receipt to route completion.
1
Instant Order Receipt
The driver receives the order on their smart device immediately, complete with pick-up address, species type, and number of fallen animals or containers — no paperwork required.
2
No Local Knowledge Required
Drivers do not need prior local knowledge of the area or farms. The system provides all necessary location and collection details automatically.
3
GPS-Optimised Routing
The collection route is automatically optimised by GPS and fully guided, accounting for the shortest and fastest route, truck load and maximum weight, maximum driving and working time, and live updates with new orders added in real-time.
4
Centralised Data Processing
All data is immediately processed and recorded centrally, with easy access for competent veterinary authority checks — eliminating end-of-day paperwork reconciliation.
Benefits for the Environment
Beyond operational efficiency, digital fallen stock collection systems deliver meaningful environmental and public health benefits across the entire supply chain.
Disease Risk Safeguards
Safeguards human and environmental receptors from disease risk through faster, more reliable collection and disposal.
Reduced Odour Impact
Reduced potential for odour from decomposed material during transport and processing, improving conditions for communities near collection routes.
Improved Material Quality
Improved quality of animal by-product material for processing into sustainable products, maximising the value recovered from the waste stream.
Lower Fuel Consumption
Optimised transport routes reduce fuel consumption and associated emissions, contributing to a lower carbon footprint for the collection service.
Online Collection System
🖥️ Secure Web Portal
Used by Collector
  • Assigns collections via App to the driver
  • Shows scheduled collections
  • Shows real-time driver locations, updates & completion details
☁️ Server
Central Data Hub
  • Logs all job information
  • Sends collection data to the administration team
📱 Farmer App
Used by Farmer — driven by postcode
  • Displays collector details based on farmer postcode
  • Displays relevant collection service details
  • Sends collection order to the chosen collector in real-time
📲 Collector App
Used by Drivers — In Real-time
  • Shows scheduled collections
  • Logs collection details, including completion
The digital platform connects farmers, collectors, and administrators through a seamlessly integrated architecture — ensuring real-time visibility and control at every stage of the collection proces
Next: Case Study 12