29 March 2011

2 minute read

Europe

The leaflets, which focus on four different elements of resource use efficiency, are the outcome of an MLCSL study capturing the current situation regarding energy and water use and effluent production in the industry, and identifying activities which could reduce the resources companies use.

MLCSL consultant and project manager Christine Walsh said: “EBLEX, HCC and QMS are committed to both developing a competitive red meat supply chain and making the supply of meat more sustainable by helping processors reduce their environmental impact.

“Managing water and energy is still in its infancy in most beef and sheep processing plants and so there are some easy wins most businesses can make which will reduce both their resource use and their costs.

“Taking the full lifecycle costs into account when purchasing new equipment is one area where savings could be made. Companies should not just look at the initial price tag but calculate the energy, manpower and water requirements for operating, cleaning and maintaining the equipment throughout its life.

“One company involved in the study stated that by purely concentrating on their water use they are saving £20,000 per annum. Their energy costs are four times their water costs, therefore they could be looking at saving a further £80,000 by adopting similar policies in this area.”

The energy and waste performance of the processing sector was first examined in Testing the Water – The English Beef and Sheep Production Environmental Roadmap – Phase 2, published by EBLEX in December 2010. The roadmap can be downloaded here.

Four separate leaflets are available to processors, covering environmental management systems (EMS), effluent, water and energy.