Waste reduction

Best practices

Clean production for energy savings and reduced waste-management costs

Strong results start with a firm commitment A raft of energy savings and efficiency gains thanks to clean production methods employed under enhanced EMS Reduced waste and boosted energy performance saves € 69 463 a year Kide S. Coop, which is part of the commercial equipment section of the larger...
Best practices

Efficient environmental management system cuts water use and waste

Big effort leads to bigger results ... and awards Engineering company puts its new EMS to the test and delivers big water and waste reductions Annual water savings of 12 000 m3 and reduced material consumption by 30.35 tonnes achieved IkanKronitek is one of five business units in the TTT Group and...
Best practices

Capping materials and emissions at cap manufacturer

Putting a lid on energy losses Spanish firm discovers a whole world of ways to save energy, materials and costs Its resulting measures earn it a prize at the European Business Award for the Environment Ramondín Cápsulas produces several types of lids and caps for a range of products including tin...
Best practices

Citrus residues for renewable energy production

Fruit-processing industries are concentrated mainly in southern Europe, and most of them are family businesses or SMEs. They generate vast amounts of fruit residues. Citrus processing, in particular, generates mountains of orange peel which make up some 45-65 % of the original citrus fruit weight...
Best practices

Kivikko seat: sustainable, efficient design

Eco-elegance, by design... At Isku, responsible design means taking into account the environment in a product's whole life cycle The award-winning Kivikko seat is a prime eco-design example Isku is a Finnish furniture producer and retailer, founded in 1928. The company's mission is to provide...
Best practices

Pioneering French company invests in new green energy

The fruity aroma of success French fruit wholesaler and marketer turns its 1 800 tonne-a-year headache into an efficient biogas energy and heat plant Energy independence, co-generation potential, fertiliser for farms, partnerships with neighbouring companies, and more Boyer SAS is fresh fruit giant...
Best practices

Big savings by optimising waste management and reducing water use

More than a pebble story... Joint waste-sorting and resource conservation efforts yields good results for the company, environment and staff Material losses reduced by 264 tonnes (saving € 53 000 a year), and 57 % cost savings on waste Le Moulin is a flour milling company based in Martinique, the...
Best practices

Quality and material efficiency go hand in hand

Efficiency at Finnish funerary specialist Carpentry company specialised in coffins and funerary urns maximised raw material use Significant material savings by optimisation sawing process Shorter wood cut-offs are used to make flower bases and the rest as fuel SHT-Tukku Oy specialises in coffin and...
Best practices

More efficient plastic and cardboard waste sorting saves money

Tackling mixed waste a priority Improved waste-sorting channels cut back on mixed waste destined for incineration Better-sorted waste leads to lower waste costs, resale options, more staff participation Improvement measures generate savings of around € 6 000 per year Nestlé Purina, a food-processing...
Best practices

Material savings by reusing prune waste

Money for jam... and pits Well-established conserve-maker converts bio-waste into a revenue stream Selling its prune pits to a partner company cuts waste by 26 % and saves around € 3 600 a year Favols is a jam manufacturer in southwest France. Created about 50 years ago, the company has been...
Best practices

Eco-efficient textile finishing

Finishing is a series of processing operations applied to a textile material that improves its appearance, performance, ‘hand’ (feel) and/or functional properties. Finishing processes are usually applied directly to fabrics after, or in combination with, dyeing. Technologies available for mechanical...
Best practices

Early engagement at design stage generates material savings

Get the specs right from the outset... and save! Assumptions about materials and processes can lead to over-specification and end up costing more Matching real requirements to specifications can save significant raw materials and associated costs Bradagh Interiors knew that tailoring the type of...