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Pollution Prevention (P2) for Food Manufacturing 2099
Back to Pollution Prevention Fact Sheets
Opportunities may exist to save a significant amount of money for your
business and simultaneously protect the environment through P2.
What is P2? P2 is the use of materials, processes, or practices that
eliminate or reduce the creation of pollutants or waste at the source. P2
consists of a variety of strategies and techniques that strive to avoid the
production of waste and the subsequent costly and sometimes dangerous waste
management activities. Waste avoidance or reduction may result in increased
facility efficiencies as well as significant savings from lowered waste
management costs, raw materials costs, reduced insurance and worker safety
costs. There is, therefore, the opportunity to simultaneously improve your
bottom line - and protect the environment.
Where can I obtain information? The Business & Environmental Service
Centers have compiled a library of P2 reference materials that may help you
identify and adopt P2 measures appropriate to your business. For local P2
information, call 1-800-GOV-1-STOP. The following publications may be requested
online:
What are the benefits of P2?
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Business Cost Savings: You may realize -
reduced energy costs, operational costs, production costs,
raw materials costs, transportation costs, treatment and
disposal costs, compliance permits, monitoring and
enforcement costs.
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Environmental Protection: Your employees and
patrons will appreciate your leadership in the
implementation of business practices that are economically
viable, sustain natural resources and diversity, and
enhance the quality of life for present and future
generations.
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Regulatory Relief: It is easier to achieve and
maintain compliance once P2 measures have been
implemented.
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Reduced Liability, Exposure, and Health Risk:
Less waste means less liability for environmental problems
at both on-site and off-site treatment, storage and
disposal facilities. Reducing waste also means less
potential risk to human health and safety and reduced
worker exposure to toxic chemicals.
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Reduced Energy Consumption: Energy conservation
and energy use efficiency will reduce costs and the risk
of power outages.
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What new technologies reduce costs and promote P2?
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Waste Audits: The waste audit is the first step in
developing a waste reduction strategy and should evaluate opportunities
in the areas of improved operating procedures, process and equipment
modifications, and reuse/recycling. Advantages include: providing a
comprehensive list of all wastes being generated, identifying the
composition and source of each waste, focuses on those wastes that are
most hazardous and those techniques that are most easily implemented,
and compares the technical and economic feasibility of the options
identified.
1, 2
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Process Wastewater Reduction: Modifications to the process
may increase efficiency and generate less wastewater. These changes can
include dedication of process equipment to reduce equipment cleaning
frequency; avoiding using the wastewater stream to transfer solids and
particulates; and conserving water through the use of automatic shutoffs
on hoses and at wash stations and through the use of high pressure, low
volume water sprayers. Advantages include: reducing wastewater
pretreatment and disposal operating costs, minimizing loadings to the
wastewater treatment system, reducing facility ecological burden and
conserving water by decreasing overall process use.2, 3
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Food Waste Reduction: The choice of recovery methods will
depend on the quantity and type of food discards, availability of space
for on-site recovery and program costs. Food recovery methods include
food donations, use as an animal feed, rendering for liquid fats and
solid meat products or composting. Advantages include: avoiding disposal
fees, recovering the nutrient value of the food as compost or animal
food and creating an improved public image for your business. Businesses
with record setting food diversion programs are recovering 50 to 100% of
their food discards and reducing their overall solid waste by 33 to 85%.1
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Reusing and Recycling Other Wastes: Strategies for
addressing additional waste streams such as waste paper, empty
containers, and lubricating fluids can include adopting a company policy
that all documents are to be printed on both sides of the page,
collecting and reusing one sided paper for drafts and scratch pads,
recycling white paper, corrugated containers and lubricating oils.
Advantages include: lessening paper use will save money by reducing the
cost of both buying paper and disposing of office paper waste. Recycling
lubricating oils will reduce disposal costs, decreases worker safety
issues and environmental liability.4
Why is P2 a good idea for businesses? Compare areas of cost savings
that may be achieved through the implementation of one or more P2 technologies:
| Practice Benefits |
Paper Waste Reduction |
Energy Conser-
vation |
Electronic Equipment Recycling |
General Waste Reduction |
Purchasing Recycled Goods |
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P2 |
Reduces Solid Waste |
√ |
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√ |
√ |
√ |
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Reduces Toxic Waste |
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√ |
√ |
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√ |
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Reduces Air/Water Pollution |
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√ |
√ |
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√ |
Ec
on
om
icBe
ne
fi
ts |
Reduces Purchasing Costs |
√ |
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√ |
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Reduces Handling Costs |
√ |
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√ |
√ |
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Reduces Storage Requirements |
√ |
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√ |
√ |
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Lowers Operating Costs |
√ |
√ |
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√ |
√ |
Source: California Integrated Waste Management Board
8/24/2000
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