C212 - Mainland Products Ltd, Christchurch – Canterbury
region
Summary
Mainland Products have made savings of $65,000 per year with
just two of the projects they have implemented as a part of a cleaner
production programme. The combined payback for these projects was
under two weeks. For Mainland Products, introducing a cleaner production
approach has provided an ideal companion to the planned implementation
of an environmental management system.
Business Profile
The Mainland Products Ltd dairy food processing plant in
Blenheim Road, Christchurch collects and processes about 125
million litres of milk each year into a range of milk and cultured
food products. Originally Meadow Fresh Foods Ltd, the company
changed ownership in 1998 becoming a part of the larger Mainland
Foods group of companies. The company retained the Meadow Fresh
brand name.
Type of Projects
Product waste reduction.
Reasons for Projects
The management team at the Blenheim Road plant saw the opportunity
to implement cleaner production practices into their site as
complimentary to their plans to implement an environmental management
system. The site was well suited to a systematic approach to
environmental improvement having already established a team based
management style.
Target Zero
The Mainland Products (Blenheim Rd) 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.
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
Reducing pipework
| Description |
When
the UHT (ultra heat treated) milk processing plant was
installed some years
ago, pipework was provided for a "direct filling" option
to provide plant flexibility. In practice this was rarely
if ever used. In the course of daily operation this unnecessary
pipe was ‘filled’ with milk, and due to the aseptic nature
of the process, could not be recovered at the end of each
day’s run. During cleaning of the rest of the pipework this
was drained to waste.The milk discarded each day amounted
to a cost of $35,000 per annum.Removing the redundant section
shortened the pipework loop from sterilisers to fillers and
reduced the amount of milk that had to be discarded. |
| Environmental Benefit |
Reduced trade waste
discharge volume and loading. |
| Other Benefits |
Increased production. |
| Economic Benefit |
Capital
cost $500Savings $35,000/annumPayback 1
week |
Cultured Food Batch Size Rationalisation
|
Description |
Batches of cultured foods (yoghurt, sour cream, etc) are
prepared in a mixing tank. One and one half mix-tanks are
required for each culturing batch to meet the present market
volume demands.
Product loss and wastage from draining, product transfer,
and washing two mix-tanks was substantial.
By changing to one larger mixing tank, only one mix was
required per culturing batch and product wastage was reduced. |
|
Environmental Benefit |
Reduced trade waste discharge volume and loading. |
|
Other Benefits |
Increased production. |
|
Economic Benefit |
Capital cost $1,500
Savings $30,000/annum
Payback 3 weeks |
|
For additional information contact:
Clive Bleaken
Mainland Products Ltd
PO Box 6027
Christchurch
Phone (03) 343 7427
Fax (03) 343 7425
clive.bleaken@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
|
|
