< Previouswww.fdiforum.net ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 30 Reducing environmental impact has never been more pressing for food and drink companies. From recycling wastewater to electric fleets, and responsible sourcing, there’s a myriad of ways for companies to make their supply chains greener. Arguably the first priority in conducting any environmental management analysis is to start with the wider supply chain before macroing in on specifics. Though supply chain management should be undertaken by food and beverage businesses as standard, it’s been obvious over the last few years with the startling revelations of slavery in the supply chain that producers and supplies still have a long way to go. A sector which is currently undergoing a transformation in this regard is cocoa. The biggest players in this field – including Nestlé, Mondel ēz International, and Cargill – are all currently involved in initiatives to make the cocoa supply chain securer, more transparent and sustainable. This is being accomplished through monitoring and reporting and the deployment of technologies such as GPS, digital payments and smart sensors improving farmer livelihoods, combating deforestation and boosting traceability and transparency. One of the most carbon intensive areas of any company’s supply chain is transport and distribution, and so improvements here must be a critical part of any environmental management. Simple solutions, such as more efficiently designed packaging to allow more to be loaded into a single shipment, can have a © Shutterstock / Daniel Jedzura The green agenda The green agenda 30-33.qxp_Layout 1 26/07/2021 12:05 Page 1www.fdiforum.net ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 31 big impact. However, reducing these emissions is not only simple a case of swapping one fleet out for another, as many of the alternatives to fossil-fuel powered transportation are no way near close to taking over. Hybrid and electric vehicles have become more commonplace, with major food and beverage players adopting them into their fleet, but they aren’t without their setbacks. Aside from the initial investment involved, perhaps the biggest downsides to these vehicles is charge time, the distance they can travel on a single charge and the amount and accessibility of charging infrastructure. Although stopping to refuel adds time to a journey, it is a relatively quick process compared with charging an electric vehicle. As the technology currently stands, batteries take time to charge, time where a truck or van is spent doing nothing while food and beverage products sit idle in the back. It’s worth noting, however, that battery and charging technology is constantly improving and charge times, especially, continue to fall. Despite these advances, a lack of charging infrastructure remains an issue. While charge points are becoming more familiar sights across towns, cities and service stations, it’s hardly the rival of petrol stations. Although the government has invested in infrastructure, we’re a long way off a tipping point where electrical vehicles overtake petrol and diesel. Although electric and hybrid vehicles aren’t a feasible solution for many companies looking to make their fleets more sustainable, they do present an ideal opportunity for last mile logistics. This refers to the last leg of the journey, where products leave the final warehouse or © Shutterstock / Scharfsinn 32 Á 30-33.qxp_Layout 1 26/07/2021 12:05 Page 2www.fdiforum.net ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 32 distribution and are delivered to stockists, suppliers and retailers. Typically taking place in urban areas, electric vehicles are ideally suited to fulfil this crucial final step – helping to reduce a company’s total emissions output. Focussing on a company’s in-house operations now, and one of the biggest changes is the integration of renewable energy into the manufacturing process. More and more companies are signing virtual power purchase agreements, in which a company agrees to purchase power at a negotiated price from a wind or solar project over a predetermined number of years. Elsewhere, companies are installing solar panels at their own sites to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels. Another area where companies can focus their environmental efforts is in the avoidance of food waste during manufacturing. There will always be some wastage involved in the production of food and beverage products, but this can be minimised by designing the production process in such a way where lost product is incorporated back in the mix or production line. Examples where companies have done just this include pasta production and the depositing of pre-grated cheese onto pizzas. For food that is wasted, or falls on the factory floor, an alternative to landfill is anaerobic digestors which, in turn, produces renewable biogas. Although food and drink makers are required by law to ensure their machinery, equipment and operations are kept clean and hygienic, there’s also the environment to consider. Of course, industrial cleaning products are often themselves harmful to the environment, but water usage is one of the biggest issues here. According to the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP), cleaning can account for as much as seventy per cent of a site’s entire water usage. This brings additional costs such as labour, downtime, lost materials, cleaning chemicals, and extra energy expended for heating and pumping. Optimisation requires a change in cleaning routine that, over time, will not only help to slash water supply bills, but also reduce the volume of concertation in effluent. There’s a chain of thought that claims a reduction in water compromises hygiene requirements. But this simply isn’t true, with a number of ways of minimising water usage whilst also maintaining hygiene levels and, in some cases, even improving them. Minimising wastewater should be a priority to food and beverage companies, not just in terms of cleaning, but right across the supply chain. In many cases, wastewater is simply outsourced to a processing plant or treatment facility, but now the onus is not on how best to dispose of wastewater, but how best to put it to use. But before this wastewater can be fed back into the supply chain, it first needs to undergo a vigorous process (or several processes) to purify and filter it. The most ubiquitous technologies in 30-33.qxp_Layout 1 26/07/2021 12:05 Page 3www.fdiforum.net ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 33 © Shutterstock / joel bubble ben HOTWIND MISTRAL VULCAN Process HeatPLUG 'n' LEISTER Tel: +44 (0)1707 331111 info@welwyntoolgroup.co.uk www.welwyntoolgroup.co.uk Integrated temperature controls Integrated temperature probes Brushless power motors Integrated power electronics Heat output & air volume steplessly adjustable with potentiometers Protection against heating elements or devices overheating Our extensive product range includes: Innovative, system-compatible air heaters Powerful, robust blowers Compact, flexible hot-air blowers Comprehensive range of accessories Process Heat PLUG 'n' LEISTERR Tel: +44 (0)1707 331111 info@welwyntoolgroup.co.uk www.welwyntoolgroup.co.uk achieving this are distillation, absorption, electrolysis, reverse osmosis, and filtration – the latter of which is the most commonly used thanks to its cost-effective nature and overall reliability. Yet treating and purifying wastewater with ultraviolet (UV) light boats longevity, efficiency, affordability and eco-friendly credentials. Unlike some of the other solutions available, UV is an environmentally-friendly alternative and results in no disinfection by-products. Moreover, its electrical needs are low, meaning it can run constantly. It has even been proven to deactivate all the microorganisms attributed to spoilage. Environmental management is a critical undertaking for food and beverage businesses, but there’s no one single approach, but rather, it’s important to adopt a multi-faceted exploration of the supply chain, from end to end, to identify areas where improvements must be made. 30-33.qxp_Layout 1 26/07/2021 12:05 Page 4www.fdiforum.net 34 Often imitated… …never equalled You can feature your company in our hugely popular Online Directory with a description, contact details and a hyperlink If you would like further information please contact Vicky Hunt on +44 [0] 1472 310310 or email v.hunt@blmgroup.co.uk or visit www.fdiforum.net/directory classified From field to fork, Food & Drink International is the voice of the industry. 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