C211 - Mainland Products Ltd, Christchurch – Canterbury
Region
Summary
A motivated and enthusiastic team with good staff representation and management
support identified significant savings for the Food Solutions Bromley site
in the relatively short time that was available to them. By focussing on
reducing product losses through improved procedures and simple housekeeping
changes, the team identified and implemented an estimated $117,000/annum
of savings. Additional projects were identified (with savings estimated to
be $160,000/annum), but were not implemented because of the announced plant
closure.
Business Profile
Huttons Kiwi Ltd, as the original participants in the Target Zero programme,
operated a small goods manufacturing plant at Bromley in Christchurch. In
December 1997 Huttons Kiwi Ltd merged with Top Hat Bacon to become Food Solutions
Ltd, which was 70% owned by Brierley’s. In December 1998, Brierley’s sold
its stake in Food Solutions to Mainland Products Ltd. As Mainland already
owned a ham and bacon plant at Oamaru and concluded it was not economic to
keep both plants open, the Bromley plant was scheduled for closure in the
latter part of 1999.
Type of Projects
Product waste reduction.
Reasons for Projects
In response initially to pressure exerted by the local authority, the management
of Food Solutions soon realised that production efficiency and quality were
closely allied to environmental performance. A department by department focus
on product handling procedures readily identified opportunities to reduce
product losses, increasing productivity and reducing the environmental impact
on the trade waste system and the landfill.
Target Zero
The Food Solutions plant has been a participant in Target Zero,
a two-year sponsored cleaner production programme involving 12
companies in Christchurch and 10 in Hawkes Bay during the period
1997-1999. The programme was sponsored by the Sustainable Management
Fund of the Ministry for the Environment, Meridian Energy Ltd
(formerly ECNZ), and the local authority and electricity company
in each area.
The Projects
De-skinning operation sausage product
loss
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Description
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A proportion of processed sausages was disposed to the
landfill because of contamination as a result of dropping
onto the floor from the de-skinning machine.
A larger two-tier tray was constructed and staff educated
to remove the tray before it overflows.
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Environmental Benefit
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Reduced disposal of meat waste to the landfill.
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Other benefits |
Increased product yield.
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Economic Benefit |
Capital cost $1,000
Savings $15,235/annum
Payback < 1 month |
Sausage skin product loss
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Description
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A proportion of processed sausages was disposed to the
landfill because of the skins unravelling as a result of
the end of the skin not being adequately secured.
A simple procedural change ensuring an additional twist
to the skin prevented the unravelling and consequent product
loss that had been occurring.
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Environmental Benefit
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Reduced disposal of meat waste to landfill.
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Other benefits |
Increased product yield.
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Economic Benefit |
Capital cost None
Savings $71,100/annum
Payback Immediate |
Product transfer loss
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Description
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A proportion of processed sausages was disposed to the
landfill because sausages drop onto the floor from transfer
trolleys.
By simply adding a wire mesh tray to the bottom to catch
any sausages that fall, the loss of product was significantly
reduced.
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Environmental Benefit
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Reduced disposal of meat waste to landfill.
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Other benefits |
Increased product yield.
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Economic Benefit |
Capital cost $2,000
Savings $30,470/annum
Payback < 1 month |
Ham loss
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Description
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The Langen machine tumbles ham with brine, but opens before
all product has settled, spilling 70-100 kg of ham/day.
Installing a PLC to delay opening until mixture settled
will eliminate the loss of valuable product.
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Environmental Benefit
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Reduced disposal of meat waste to landfill.
|
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Other benefits |
Increased product yield.
|
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Economic Benefit |
Capital cost $30,000
Savings $61,100/annum
Payback 6 months |
Sausage mince loss
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Description
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A proportion of sausage mince was disposed to the landfill
because the bowl-cutter was over-filled and product overflowed
onto the floor.
By reformulating recipes to a consistent batch size compatible
with equipment capacity and training staff to take greater
care to prevent loss, product losses could be reduced significantly.
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Environmental Benefit
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Reduced disposal of meat waste to landfill.
|
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Other benefits |
Increased product yield.
|
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Economic Benefit |
Capital cost None
Savings $75,730/annum
Payback Immediate |
Product returns
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Description
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One cause of product returns was found to be due to pinholes
in plastic webbing caused by creasing at the corners of
rectangular bacon packs.
By changing the packaging dye from square to round would
reduce creasing and the tendency to form pinholes in the
vacuum packs.
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Environmental Benefit
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Reduced disposal of meat waste to landfill.
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Other benefits |
Increased product yield.
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Economic Benefit |
Capital cost $2,000
Savings $23,230/annum
Payback 1 month |
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For additional information contact:
John Walker
Mainland Products Ltd
66 Humber St
Oamaru
Phone 03 434 8814
Email: john.walker@mainland.co.nz |
For further information about the Target Zero programme
see following publication:
- You too can profit from cleaner production and waste
minimisation
- Coordinating cleaner production programmes. Lessons
from Target Zero
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