| Helping your Food Processing business improve its Eco-Efficiency
A Sector Eco-Efficiency Promotion Project was implemented for the food industry in collaboration between the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia (CCIWA), Environment Australia and the Centre of Excellence in Cleaner Production. CCIWA entered into an Eco-Efficiency Agreement with Environment Australia to help businesses access information and put into practice eco-efficiency and cleaner production measures.
Through the agreement with Environment Australia CCIWA contracted the Centre for Excellence in Cleaner Production to survey the food sector to:
Determine the existing level of awareness about eco-efficiency and
Help increase the awareness and uptake of eco-efficiency measures in small to medium enterprises (SMEs).
The survey included telephone and written components and was carried out in the period October 2001 to January 2002
The survey found that awareness and application of cleaner production and eco-efficiency is low among the respondent SMEs in the food processing sectors. Given that only more interested and aware businesses are likely to have responded, awareness and implementation may be lower still in the sector as a whole, so there is plenty of potential for increased uptake of eco-efficiency measures.
Likely causes of the current poor uptake are:
- A lack of basic awareness by businesses of the environmental impacts and risks of their operations
- A lack of understanding of the business benefits of cleaner production and eco-efficiency;
- Real or perceived barriers to implementation. These real and perceived barriers tend to be common across SMEs, regardless of sector and include lack of time and resources and high costs for low benefit.
To assist businesses increase their awareness and understanding of the benefits of eco-efficiency and cleaner production the Centre of Excellence in Cleaner Production under contract to CCIWA and Environment Australia ran a series of workshops for businesses in the food sector. The information sheets below summarise some of the information presented in the workshops.
Energy efficiency in the food sector
Waste management in the food sector
Wastewater in the food sector
Water use in the food sector
Businesses that attended the workshops were encouraged and assisted to develop Action Plans for the introduction of Cleaner Production measures in their workplaces.
Food Sectors Case Studies Available on the Environment Australia Website:
Eco-efficiency for Queensland Food Processing Industry
Reducing Water Usage and Wastewater - Tony's Tuna International
Heat Recovery for Reuse in Proofing Ovens - Goodman Fielder Baking Australia
Natural Gas Cogeneration Replaces Electricity for Malt-Drying - Adelaide Malting
Southcorp Environmental Management System Meets Needs of Diverse Global Population
The Monitoring and Pre-treatment of Brewery Trade Waste Prior to Discharge - Carlton & United Brewery
Reducing Consumption of Water and Compressed Air - Carlton & United Breweries
Waste Recycling and Reuse, Pipe Insulation, Boiler Enclosure, Water Usage Reduction, Recovery of Fine Sugar Dust - Cadbury Schweppes
Cleaner Production - Demonstration Project - Bonlac Foods Stanhope (1 of 2)
Utilisation of a Fully Automated Cleaning System in a Milk Processing Plant - Pauls Limited (NT)
Better Management of Wastewater - Smiths Snackfood Company
Reducing Solid Wastes from Waste Water - Heinz Wattie's
Reducing Salt Load in Waste Water and Reducing Water Use - Irymple Citrus Products
Swift Payback on Investment - Murray Goulburn Cooperative
Flour Power - Nestle
Emulsion Recovery - Uncle Ben's
Reducing Waste at Product Change Over - Uncle Ben's
Reducing Energy and Water Use - Chiquita Mushrooms
Reducing Waste Water - Ardmona Foods
Reducing Fuel Cost of Steam Production - Ardmona Foods
Replacement of Coal with Biogas - NSW Sugar Milling Co-operative
Supply Chain Environmental Management
Reuse, Recycle and Treatment Options - Banksia Food Products
Recovery of Citrus Oil and Molasses - The Original Juice Company
Cleaner Production Changes - Plenty to Crow About - Joe's Poultry Processors
Reduction of Water Consumption and Pollution Load - A Raptis & Sons Pty Ltd
Recovery and Reuse of Filter Backwash Water - Coca-Cola Amatil
Utilisation of Backwash Water, Installation of Throttle Valves, Replacement of Nozzles on Container Wash Systems, Wash Water Recycling; Water Heater Controller - Schweppes Cottee's
Environmental Efficiencies = Sales Force Effectiveness - Coca Cola Amatil
Reducing Downtime - Coca Cola Amatil
Re-using Winery Wastewater to Irrigate Redgum Plantations - Berri Estates
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