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By: Mike Pehanich
Poultry and meat processing facilities in the ConAgra plant network copped several top honors in an annual recognition program acknowledging company-wide achievements in creating economic growth while preserving the environment.
Each year, America's largest food marketer, Omaha-based ConAgra, Inc., honors its most creative and resourceful operations efforts in its annual Sustainable Development Achievement Awards. Besides providing environmental benefits in reduced raw material usage and lower waste volumes, the program yields significant cost savings. Some highlights:
Monfort develops cogeneration plant.
An independent developer teamed with plant engineers at the Monfort beef plant in Greeley, CO, to develop a cogeneration plant near the facility. The natural gas plant produces electricity for the city of Greeley. The Monfort plant purchases the steam byproduct of the plant at a cost of $1.92/1,000 lb of steam -- well below the $4/1,000 lb cost of producing usable steam prior to the plant. The plant now saves more than $1 million annually.
ConAgra manages poultry processing.
Plant management at ConAgra Poultry Co.'s plant in Farmerville, LA, receives reports each day on daily energy usage, trains employees on energy efficiency on the job, and provides budget forecasting data thanks to its Energy Management System. The EMS has allowed the plant to reduce its natural gas usage by 14 percent, electricity usage by 8 percent and water usage by 24 percent. Reduced water usage has also diminished the amount of wastewater left to manage. The system has saved the plant more than $390,000, amounting to 17percent of its annual energy costs.
ConAgra Plant recycles water.
The ConAgra Frozen Foods plant in Russellville, AR, needed more water for its operations. Fans on the plant's roof use water to cool refrigeration units. ConAgra also uses water to grow bean sprouts on its grounds for use in La Choy products, produced at the plant. Instead of buying more water from the city, the plant recycles the water from its bean sprout operation, using it for the roof fans that cool the refrigeration units.
Because this recycled water never passes through a wastewater facility, the plant saves even more. The project saves $45,000 and 20 million gallons of water annually.
Low water pressure and water flow problems, due to iron build-up on the pipes, were causing unusually high water usage at ConAgra Poultry Company's Arcadia, LA, plant. Plant personnel flushed the pipes with safe chemicals to remove the iron and prevent future iron buildups. They then implemented a water conservation program, installing water flow restrictors and changing processing line configurations to better control water usage. The water conservation effort has reduced water usage by 125 million gallons annually, saving $450,000/yr.
Lamb-Weston reduces energy costs.
The Lamb-Weston potato processing plant in Hermiston, OR, has substantially reduced the plant's energy costs through an agreement with U.S. Generating Co., which opened a cogeneration plant next to the Lamb-Weston facility. The cogeneration facility uses natural gas to generate electricity for the Pacific Northwest. Lamb-Weston purchases the zero-discharge power plant's steam byproduct at a reduced cost. Prior to the cogeneration plant, Lamb-Weston used two natural gas-fired boilers to generate steam needed for potato processing. The plant saves around 20 percent on natural gas, and saves substantially on boiler chemical costs, which amount to $62,000/yr.
Hunt-Wesson saves with training program.
Hunt-Wesson Environmental Services developed in-house environmental training programs focused on a wide array of environmental issues. Program information is stored on computer disks so that the information can be easily updated as environmental regulations and plant needs change. Hunt-Wesson estimates it will save $50,000-100,000/yr with the in-house training programs when compared to off site training sessions.
Armour Swift-Eckrich computerizes procedures.
Armour Swift-Eckrich(ASE) integrated into its company-wide computer system information on its environmental compliance tasks and procedures. Having the tasks and procedures listed on the computer makes it easy for plant engineering managers to track and document environmental operating practices. By integrating the environmental tasks into the computer system, ASE saved on computer software and hardware costs. An environmental management compliance software system can cost a company $200,000.
Webber/Oldham increases yield.
The Webber/Oldham's sausage plant in Holton, KS, has employed new processing technology that makes the plant's de-boning operation more efficient. Bones are fed through a mechanical separator, which removes meat otherwise wasted in traditional de-boning operations. With this process, product yield increases, thereby reducing byproduct rendering. Increased yield means less slaughter. The decrease in byproduct rendering saves on natural gas used to operate rendering cookers. In addition, the new technology is less labor-intensive. With the new technology, the facility has increased annual profits by about $850,000.
S & C Beef Processors save money.
ConAgra Fresh Meat's S & C Beef Processors in Montgomery, AL, saved money by changing its wastewater handling methods. The facility's wastewater contains nutrient-rich byproducts that are used as fertilizers.
Because the hauling contractor charges by the gallon, S & C felt it was spending too much money having its byproduct material transported to nearby farms. Its wastewater facility generated 12,000 gallons of byproduct material per day.
Lamb-Weston increases revenues.
The Lamb-Weston potato plant in Boardman, OR, sells potatoes left over from french fry processing to a nearby potato flake processor. It used to sell them as cattle feed. To date, sales of the material have added $531,000 in revenues.
E.A. Beef Company Composts Waste.
E.A. Beef Company, Hyrum, UT, saves $45,000 annually by composting its waste and selling it to the public in Hyrum and surrounding areas. E.A. now pockets as profit the $45,000 in hauling costs it once paid to a local farmer, and has added revenues from the sale besides.
ConAgra improves packaging.
ConAgra Frozen Foods improved its Banquet chicken dinner tray, tray lid and carton to provide a more convenient tamper-proof package. This improved packaging has made it easier to manufacture the dinners, increasing labor efficiency by 18 percent. The modifications have also cut down on Banquet's packaging materials by 140 tons/yr.
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