Water Management

Best practices

Laundry in Germany saves resources by using rainwater

Every drop counts Industrial laundry cuts a major resource cost simply by catching and using rainwater National environment fund (DBU) backed the project Company cuts fresh water use by 22 % Coburger Handtuch & Matten-Service, located in Rödental, Germany is a laundry specialising in washing towels...
Best practices

Optimisation of cleaning-in-place systems

Since the 1950s, clean-in-place (CIP) systems have been reliably used to clean inside surfaces of tanks and pipelines in liquid process equipment to avoid costly downtime associated with lengthy dismantling and cleaning tasks. The technique covers a variety of areas, but its main purpose is to...
Best practices

Reduced water consumption in beverage production

Purge ends in 5 minutes! German company shows how to reduce water use through optimised cleaning-in-place technique Shorter purge cycle reduces water consumption by 12 %, saving about € 10 600 per annum Beverage production is a very water-intensive industry, both as an ingredient and in cleaning...
Best practices

Improving accounting of materials and energy using TOP 20 method

Traditional accounting systems are not routinely designed to provide companies with information about total costs related to the use of resources and generation of waste and emissions. When a company is able to calculate and allocate costs on so-called non-product outputs, it can better monitor the...
Best practices

Top 20 analysis saves energy and materials at Austrian cable company

The right balance makes a difference Top 20 analysis highlights where immediate energy and materials savings can be made Optimising the software on a heat pump saves about 20 000 kWh of electricity per year HAASE Gesellschaft m.b.H. is a producer of high-temperature, low-sag energy cables and rope...
Best practices

Strategic energy issues tackled in Polish textile industry

Beware the unknown costs! Textile business discovers inefficiencies in production and important cost-management gaps TOP 20 follow-up helps the company reduce energy consumption by over 5 % Oritex is a small dyeing and knitting house based in Lodz, Central Poland. As part of the company's broader...
Best practices

Smart meters for SME premises

Better results with better advice Pilot programmes show substantial gas, water and power savings for SMES in different countries and settings Typical combined annual savings by participants of around € 1 300 in one study The UK Carbon Trust carried out a pilot with 580 SMEs between 2006-2008. Smart...
Best practices

Refurbishment with water-saving sanitary installations

Older, more conventional sanitary installations can often easily be replaced by water-saving equipment. This cuts back on both fresh water consumption and sewage levels. Toilets can be equipped with water-saving WC pans and flushing devices. Taps and shower heads can be replaced with smart water...
Best practices

Using rainwater and grey-water to reduce fresh-water consumption

Rainwater and grey-water can be used instead of fresh-water in a number of applications, including toilet flushing, cleaning and irrigation, which reduces fresh- and waste-water volumes and corresponding costs. Grey-water is slightly polluted waste-water e.g. from showers or production. It can be...
Best practices

Estonian water utility's eco-management efforts

Long-term collective effort gets the results A raft of environmental measures form part of Tallinn water utility's EMAS strategy Today, it uses 88 % of biogas produced on-site thanks to waste separation measures introduced Tallinna Vesi is the largest water utility company in Estonia, providing...
Best practices

Employees engage in a German SME's environmental policy

Undercover energy agents German SME effectively combines HR development and resource protection Workshops and programmes benefit the company and the environment while improving employee motivation Human resource development and measures to protect resources and the environment can often go hand in...
Best practices

Implementing smart meters at SMEs

A 'smart meter' is an electronic device that can measure and control energy or water consumption through two-way interaction between a measurement unit and a control unit. Meters are available for electricity, gas and water gas consumption. The difference between a smart meter and conventional...