When low impact is a very good thing

Less waste, more profit

• Sandwich-maker targets food waste to save money
• A review reveals up to 80 % of waste can be recycled or reused

By selling leftovers from sandwich and wrap production, Dublin-based food-maker Freshways saves € 7 000 and earns an additional € 8 000 a year in a clear win-win for the company and the environment.

The big sustainable swap

• Sustainable solutions introduced by major catering services company
• The move away from single-use cups leads to big savings and environmental gains

Sodexo provides catering services to a large IT company based in Cork, Ireland which employs around 2 000 people. Every year, around 1.2 million paper cups were being used and then sent to landfill. Altogether, it cost about € 120 000 a year. 

Pressure goes down, savings go up

• Meat processor identifies excess water consumption during cleaning
• Calculations reveal where savings could be made but the end result maintained

An audit of water and energy usage at a Midlands pork meat processing factory revealed that a vast amount of hot water is being used to clean equipment on a daily basis. Typically, cleaning involves the use of high-pressure (triggered) hoses that spray hot water at temperatures ranging from 55º C to 65º C.

Solving two problems at once

Cold truths about hot water 

Sweet taste of success

• Sugar factory optimises its whole energy management systems
• Measures identified and implemented result in € 272 000 in annual savings

Illintsi Sugar Factory produces 10 800 tonnes of sugar every year in what is considered an energy-demanding sector; it requires about 50 000 MWh of energy and  228 600 m3 of water. 

A review of the company's energy management practices led to a decision to modernise its processes to reduce waste heat (steam). This involved:

It's all in the box

A total transformation

• Clean production measures in a medium-size brewery resulted in a significant increase in the quality level of new products
• Measures helped to reduce heat waste, wastewater and other waste, resulting in significant savings

CCP in Brno, the Czech Republic faced similar challenges to other breweries dating back to late 1960s characterised by low labour productivity and poor energy efficiency.

Benchmarking for better performance

• Metering identifies sources of high water consumption in a hotel
• Targeted actions to save water reduce water bill by € 3 150

Hotel Festa Sofia is a modern, stylish hotel located on the outskirts of Vitosha mountain. The four-star hotel employs 85 people and has 120 modern rooms, two restaurants and three bars.