[AIB Cover Story] Is This Going Green?

Going “green” is a modern day movement that is affecting every industry across the globe. The objective of this trend is to reduce the pressures placed on the planet’s environment and preserve natural resources for future generations. Discussions about “going green” center around learning how to meet our current needs without permanently depleting or significantly damaging natural resources for future generations.

The food manufacturing industry is one of many that significantly impacts the environment. We use a considerable amount of fossil fuel and some manufacturing processes produce higher levels of greenhouse gasses. To take part in the green movement, we need to put facility and process improvements in simple terms so that people can understand the need and the way to achieve our goals.

The upfront costs for going green seem to be higher than most conventional approaches, but determining the returns on environmental improvements quickly changes the focus from costs to investments. In the long run, green improvements save the company money and have lasting benefits for the global environment.
 
WASTE MANAGEMENT. Solid and liquid wastes are two major issues for the food industry. Every year the cost for managing these materials increases. In the past, there has not been much motivation to seriously examine reduction opportunities. We looked at recycling efforts and calibrated improvements in a limited way. However, as times changed, the cost of waste management and awareness of our responsibilities have increased. Additionally, the issue takes on new meaning when corporations require waste reduction from their suppliers. It has gone beyond being a money-saving issue and become a condition of retaining or acquiring business.

One of the first things to consider about solid waste management is the actual waste contributions. Start with production. Are you as efficient with using production materials as you believe or are inefficiencies causing waste production, often called shrinkage? Can better employee education and job training create more accurate equipment setup and formula control, thus creating less waste? If so, the investment is worth it.

If you currently use bag delivery on wood pallets for most products, reevaluate the volume received to determine if you can transition to super sack or bulk quantities to eliminate excess packaging materials for select products. This applies to materials received and shipped. You may have to invest in a handling system, but the returns would be less wasted product, better use of employee time, reduced sanitation efforts, less packaging materials in landfills, etc. Every reduced amount of solid waste translates to recovered dollars.

Techniques for managing liquid waste are seemingly limitless. Evaluating cleaning procedures to optimize water use and reduce waste is a good starting point. How much solid waste gets incorporated into the liquid waste because of poor or incomplete dry cleaning practices prior to wet cleaning? Reducing the amount of solid material in liquid waste can have a significant economic impact and lessen the burden of disposal.

WATER CONSERVATION. Water conservation is becoming a significant issue in many communities. In some areas, water conservation has become a local requirement. How can your plant be innovative in water conservation?

I recently had a conversation with an engineering group that was contracted by a food facility to reduce the amount of waste water generated from sanitation operations. The local water treatment facility had shut down and the municipality was expecting the food plant to finance a major share of the construction of a new facility capable of handling its large production of waste.

These challenges require innovative solutions and contributions from several resources. Imagine if you could design a system that reversed the cleaning process. First, it would use fresh potable water to do a final rinse and sanitization, then this water would be collected and detergent would be added to it to use for the washing process. Once washing was finished, the water would be collected and used for an initial rinse of the equipment in the pre-cleaning stage. Finally, the water would be discharged into the sewage system. If this process was attainable, you would likely reduce the water used for portable equipment cleaning by 66 percent. This actually may be a possibility for facilities that rely heavily on wet cleaning of processing equipment that can be moved through separate chambers during the cleaning process.

AIR HANDLING EQUIPMENT. Innovative technology can result in huge savings in many areas. Imagine how much energy you would save if you replaced two reciprocating compressor 100-ton air conditioning systems that require 150 amps for each startup with three centrifugal 80-ton units with magnetic bearings that only require two amps for each startup. These new units have additional features that further reduce energy usage, including single compressor start-up based on demand and variable speed fans. Though it may be an initial investment to upgrade the equipment, the savings are tangible with reduced operating costs over the expected life of the unit.

CONCLUSION. Going green does not have to be a budget breaker. After all, not everyone is in the process of building a new facility or renovating an existing one. But, we can all look at other processes and apply green principles in our operations. Maybe you will decide to modify your lighting systems to low-energy or on-demand units to reduce energy use. Or maybe you will consider how you can improve maintenance procedures to enhance system efficiencies and reduce energy needs and waste. While you’re at it, take a look at how you can improve structures to reduce heating and cooling costs and also reduce the potential for pest entry thus reducing pesticide usage. Remember, any effort that improves the overall efficiency of an operation, reduces energy costs, and is friendlier to the environment is part of the “going green” movement.

The author is Head of Food Safety Education, AIB International.