Environmental strategy: combined energy, carbon, water and waste savings

Challenge

The client was a forward looking environmentally aware food industry company, but was in need of an integrated continuous improvement programme to cover energy, carbon, water and waste management. The objectives were to develop a combined pipeline of improvements and projects, risk analyse, and to collectively develop a 5-year improvement plan.

Solution

SLR provide comprehensive environmental solutions with experts in energy, carbon, water, waste and compliance. SLR also stressed the benefits of a collaborative team approach.

Consideration was taken of relevant legislation and compliance, both for the existing operations and for recommended improvements. A cost/benefit analysis of maintaining ISO50001 certification was also included. The project combined staff and operator interviews with site audits and data analysis to develop a total of 25 costed and analysed improvements covering the 7 main areas of:

• Water use efficiency
• Water recycling
• Improved refrigeration efficiency
• Improved boiler efficiency
• Data collection, analysis and reporting
• Behavioural engagement and behavioural energy efficiency
• Renewable energy
• Supply chain

Impact

Bespoke tools were developed to perform business risk analysis, to prioritise and to track both planned and actual savings of carbon, water, energy and waste.

The prioritised implementation plan identified an 11% reduction in energy consumption, 3% reduction in water and an accompanying 8% reduction in carbon over 3 years.