Environmental issues in food manufacturing and packaging

Water Use The processing of food uses more water than any other Australian industry Used in: washing or preparing food, added as an ingredient, cleaning and sterilising of equipment and premises Sustainable water use Ensure equipment that requires water is working efficiently Recirculating used water Using alternative cleaning practices such as vacuuming Reduce water pressure to minimise the amount of water loss through leakage Regular maintenance on water pipes

Energy Use Coal, gas and electricity are used as energy during food processing and will add to the carbon footprint which will result in the emission of greenhouse gas. Transporting food via trucks, where the trucks emit carbon dioxide increases the carbon footprint. Sustainable energy use Upgrading refrigerator and compressed air systems Installing new, more efficient equipment that will utilise less energy Ensuring hot water systems and air conditioning units are well insulated Installing solar panels to heat water for staff facilities

Waste sent to landfill Food waste: the waste created as an end result of the manufacturing process ends up in landfill. It is costly and has a negative impact on the environment. Thus, not sustainable for the future. Also, waste breaks down into a greenhouse gas that is released into the atmosphere. Strategies The production of biogas Reuse solid waste

Food packaging and the environment Problems with packaging: Uses many non-renewable resources Uses significant amounts of water, coal and natural gas Plastic- non- biodegradable Low level of recycling Over-packaging products

Making plastic packaging greener Bioplastics made from corn starch Cornstarch is renewable and a sustainable resource Production is organic from the harvesting of corn to the final product Packaging is biodegradable after use e.g. Cadbury Schweppes Bioplastics made from wheat starch Wheat is renewable Looks and acts like plastic, but is biodegradable E.g. Bioplastic bags

Minimising packaging waste Reduce: select products that have less packaging Refuse: use green bags at the supermarket instead of plastic bags Recycle: place all packaging material out for kerb-side collection Reuse: reuse all plastic shopping bags several times or for other purposes around the house