Chemical Engineering July 2023 - 32

INTEGRATING PRODUCTION
AND SUSTAINABILITY
Calysseo Chongqing
A recent report, " Integrating Production
and Sustainability: How Food & Beverage
Companies Can Achieve Net-Zero " [1],
has found that food-and-beverage companies
aim to become more efficient, use
less energy and produce less waste or upcycle
the waste that has been produced.
That said, the report emphasizes that they
must see bottom-line results to expand
their sustainability programs further.
Most respondents to the poll say they are
in mid-to-late-stage planning toward their
corporate sustainability goals (Figure 1).
The top activities reported were:
* Identifying sustainable solutions (56% of
respondents)
* Sustainable material selection, sourcing,
handling and recovery techniques (55%)
* Implementing new materials/products/
solutions (47%)
* Establishing goals (40%)
The study noted that the understanding
of sustainability concepts has matured.
For the food-and-beverage industry, upcycling
has made processors more aware of
the waste they are producing. This awareness
is driving the industry to look for opportunities
to reduce waste and monetize
that waste stream.
Digestion is an area food-and-beverage
producers are exploring. Energy recovered
from processing wastewater, for example,
can be used to reduce operating costs.
The study revealed that processors are
often able to implement the basics, including
changing out inefficient motors
and lighting, adding solar panels on a
facility's roof, sealing cracks and replacing
insulation. However, companies generally
lack the internal skills to ensure the
cost-effective application of extensive
sustainable practices and technology,
such as modifying existing infrastructure,
changing out inefficient boiler systems,
and conducting energy and water audits.
Another example is building water- and
wastewater-treatment systems that go
beyond simply processing a wastewater
stream and sending it to publicly owned
treatment works (POTW).
Taking the next step requires finding partners
that can identify and implement the
optimal mix of technologies, low-carbon
fuels, and advanced process and recovery
streams. For example, working with architectural
and engineering firms with experience
in decarbonization, renewable energy
and green infrastructure will result in
long-term energy and utility cost savings.
Partners who can assist with every step
of the sustainability journey are well-positioned
to present practical solutions that
help food-and-beverage companies reduce
their environmental impact and optimize
operations.
❐
32
FIGURE 2. The world's first industrial-scale FeedKind facility in China, designed and built ahead-of-schedule,
will produce 20,000 tons of low carbon animal feed annually
provide natural building insulation,
with rainwater sustaining the native
vegetation and excess water flowing
to catchment vessels.
During the preliminary design
phase, it is essential to incorporate
efforts that reduce energy load, improve
efficiency and incorporate the
use of renewable energy to optimize
energy usage for specific processes.
For instance, waste heat
can be recovered from heating and
refrigeration systems and processing
operations and converted into
electricity or reused in the foodmanufacturing
facilities for heating
or drying activities.
Optimizing operational and maintenance
practices through design
can enhance working conditions,
boost productivity, lower energy and
resource costs, prevent system failures
and contribute significantly to
achieving these sustainability goals.
From a water-conservation angle,
designing the facility to minimize impervious
surface cover can reduce
runoff and replenish nearby groundwater
or aquifers, helping companies
reach water-sustainability goals
and lower flood risks. Lower water
consumption can also be achieved
through efficient designs or integrating
reuse or recycling processes. Creating
stormwater facilities to lessen
the building's environmental impact is
another key sustainability effort.
Prioritizing the use of integrated
and intelligent material can help to
maximize building space and material
consumption. Using and reusing
materials in the most productive and
sustainable way across the entire
lifecycle is critical. Investing in environmentally
preferable materials can
reduce the impacts on human health
and the environment, and contribute
to improved worker safety and
health, reduced liabilities and reduced
disposal costs.
Waste management during new
building construction
or
retrofitted
and demolition can also contribute
to sustainability efforts. Effluent management
can be more effective when
facilities are designed to reduce, repurpose
or treat waste streams from
solid waste, packaging, wastewater
and exhausts.
Food-and-beverage
manufacturing
processes can be optimized to
upcycle waste byproducts into highvalue
products, such as animal feed,
sustainable textile fibers, pharmaceutical
and cosmetic items.
Deploying metering systems in
buildings can support the monitoring
of sustainability measures. That
includes decreases in energy and
water use, as well as trash production
within the building and nearby.
Such actionable insights help to refine
future sustainability efforts.
Moving forward
With food production accounting
for one-third of global greenhouse
gas emissions, now is the time for
food-and-beverage producers to
start achieving long-term goals by
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM
JULY 2023

http://WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM

Chemical Engineering July 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Chemical Engineering July 2023