The U.S. Dairy Sustainability Awards program of the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy honors dairy processors, dairy farms and businesses that reduced their environmental impact.
June 12, 2013
An ice cream plant and a cheese plant were among the dairy processors honored in April in the 2013 U.S. Dairy Sustainability Awards program of the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, Rosemont, Ill.
Dairy processors are using water more efficiently. That’s a good thing because the costs of this resource (incoming and discharging) will only continue to increase.
Water is essential to life. Approximately 70% of the human body is made up of water and about 75% of our planet is covered in water. With that much water in and around us it would seem that water would be cheap and abundant. But that isn’t always the case.
Oakhurst Dairy of Maine processes quality dairy and nondairy beverages and cultured products for its retail, commercial and private-label customers. It also operates a successful sustainability program that reduces energy, water and waste.
Ask anyone what they know about Maine and you’ll probably hear “lobster, lighthouses and L.L. Bean.” Milk? Probably not, because Maine isn’t a top dairy state. There are just four milk plants (and eight bulk tank units) in Maine, according to the most recent Interstate Milk Shippers List.
The conveyors are powered by motors that reduce carbon emissions, water consumption and more.
January 29, 2013
Dynamic Conveyor introduces new line of belt food conveyers that are powered by motors that reduce carbon emissions, water consumption and waste water.
Mick Jagger told us in song that we can’t always get what we want. But milk jugs and milk crates give us what want and need from a sustainability point of view.
Consumers want sustainable food packaging. Food manufacturers want to use sustainable packaging. Many packaging suppliers are striving to meet marketplace demands. But we live in an imperfect world and we can’t always get what we want. That said improvements are being made and have been made over the years.
Sustainability is not solely focused on environmental impact but also includes economic and social impact — the triple bottom line that creates healthy people, healthy communities and a healthy planet. If a solution is good for the environment but not economically feasible, it is not sustainable from a business standpoint.
Consumers want the foods they eat to be nutritious, affordable and good-tasting. Increasingly, consumers care about the environmental impact of their food, and want to know that the products they buy were produced in an environmentally responsible way.
Dairy processors are reducing their use of water, energy, transportation and packaging. Here are 10 examples from the United States and abroad.
October 15, 2012
Dairy processors use a lot of water. Fresh water and wastewater can be a huge expense and a significant component of the utilities budget. The H2Oversight Service from U.S. Energy Services, Plymouth, Minn., offers rate tariff optimization, metering equipment confirmation, facility change monitoring, bypass opportunities and identification of operational savings.