Cleaner Production Demonstration Project at Schweppes Cottee's

Table of Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1.0 REVIEW OF SCHWEPPES COTTEE'S OPERATIONS

2.0 PLANNING AND ORGANISATION OF THE SCHWEPPES COTTEE'S CLEANER PRODUCTION PROJECT
2.1 CLEANER PRODUCTION APPROACH USED AT SCHWEPPES COTTEE'S
2.2 CLEANER PRODUCTION OPPORTUNITIES AT SCHWEPPES COTTEE'S
2.2.1 Minimisation of Water Usage and Wastewater
2.2.2 Minimisation of Energy Use
2.2.3 BOD₅ and Oil and Grease Reduction

3.0 CLEANER PRODUCTION INITIATIVES
3.1 MINIMISATION OF WATER USAGE
3.1.1 Detailed Evaluation of Opportunity
3.1.2 Project Implementation
3.1.3 Results
3.2 MINIMISATION OF ENERGY USE
3.2.1 Detailed Evaluation of Opportunity
3.2.2 Project Implementation
3.2.3 Results
3.3 BOD₅ AND OIL AND GREASE REDUCTION
3.3.1 Detailed Evaluation of Opportunity
3.3.2 Project Implementation
3.3.3 Results

4.0 REVIEW OF PROJECT

5.0 CONCLUDING REMARKS

6.0 SCHWEPPES COTTEE'S PERSPECTIVE

LIST OF TABLES TABLE 1 RESULTS OF INSTALLING WATER SAVING NOZZLES ON CONTAINER WASH SYSTEMS

LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE 1a TYPICAL CONTAINER WASH SYSTEMS ON THE CORDIAL LINES
FIGURE 1b IMPROVED CONTAINER WASH SYSTEM
FIGURE 2 OIL AND GREASE CONCENTRATIONS IN WASTEWATER

The Cleaner Production Demonstration Project is an initiative of the Environment Australia - Environment Protection Group (EPG). The aim of the Project was to raise the awareness of Australian industry and actively promote cleaner production issues. This was to be achieved by conducting ten successful cleaner production demonstration projects in industry around Australia, documenting the benefits and experiences of the project, and publicising the results to wider industry. Dames & Moore, assisted by Energetics, were engaged as technical consultants on the project. The project commenced in June 1994, and ran for 27 months.

Schweppes Cottee's in Liverpool, NSW, were selected as one of the ten companies to participate in the project. This case study report presents a record of the progress of the Schweppes Cottee's project, from initial meeting to project completion, and detail the results of the project and any problems which may have been encountered. This case study demonstrates the application of cleaner production to the food industry.

The Schweppes Cottee's facility in Liverpool is a medium-sized manufacturing plant which produces cordial, jam, jelly, ice cream toppings, fruit snacks and coffee. The main basic raw ingredients used in production are sugar, fruit, food additives and water, which are processed on a number of production lines.

The manufacturing process typically involves the following steps:

• heating / cooking;
• blending / mixing; and
• bottling / packaging.

Completion of the Schweppes Cottee's project comprised a number of stages, as follows:

• an initial audit of the site, and discussions with site personnel to identify general opportunities for cleaner production;
• follow-up site visits and meetings to identify more specific cleaner production opportunities;
• investigation of the perceived benefits and drawbacks associated with each of the opportunities, to assist site management in deciding which of the potential projects to implement at the site;
• implementing the selected projects;
• monitoring the success of the projects; and
• documenting the results.

Many specific cleaner production opportunities were identified at the site, which are summarised in Table 1. Following a relatively long period of investigation and discussion, five projects were selected for implementation. These projects focused on water minimisation, energy conservation, and improvement of wastewater quality, and are summarised below.

1. Utilising sand filter backwash water:
   The volume of water used to backwash water filters (which is currently disposed to sewer) is approximately 5,700 kL/year or approximately 3.5% of total water usage. This water is relatively clean, containing a very low concentration of suspended solids and could be used for a variety of non-product uses, including cooling tower water make-up, boiler feed water and water for the line-lube system. Water demands in these areas were monitored or estimated (where monitoring was not possible). It was decided to recycle the backwash water to two cooling towers. The recycling system comprises piping, pumps and level control switches. Collection tanks were available onsite. The cost of installing the recycling system was approximately $3,500. The volume of water saved (and wastewater reduced) was estimated at 4,140 kL/year. Cost savings associated with water savings were estimated at $8,280 /year. The payback period of the project was predicted to be 5 months.
2. Installing throttle valves on the jam line capping machines
   Approximately 5,200 kL/year of clean water was overflowing from the jam capping machine directly to site drains. While there were areas where this water could be reused, it was decided that the collection and recycling system was not feasible. In order to reduce water wasted at the capping machines, the installation of throttle valves was proposed to control the rate of water flow. These valves could be installed at an estimated cost of $300. It is estimated that 25% of the water wasted at the jam capping machine would be saved by installing the throttle valves, representing a water saving of 1,300 kL/year, and a cost saving of $2,600/year. The project has a payback period of 6 weeks. The valves were not installed during the time-frame of the Demonstration Project, but may be installed at a later date.
3. Replacement of nozzles on the container wash systems on the fruit snacks and cordial production lines
   The existing shower-style nozzles were not making optimum use of the available water. It was proposed that the shower nozzles be replaced with flat water-saving nozzles. Approximately 101 nozzles were replaced, at an estimate cost of $3,390. It has been estimated that this initiative will save 7,950 kL of water annually (a cost saving of approximately $15,980 / year). The payback period for this project is predicted to be 10 weeks.
4. Installing container wash water recycling systems.
   Prior to the Demonstration Project, a system was installed on the container wash system on one of the cordial production lines which collected rinse water and recycled it for use as first-wash water. The system was installed for approximately $1,500. Estimated water savings are 2,650 kL/year ($5,300 / year). This system was to be extended to other cordial production lines, which would result in significant water savings. While this was not achieved during the time-frame of the Demonstration Project, the additional recycling systems will be installed at a later date.
5. Replacing the controller on the hot water maker to conserve energy
   Due to poor temperature control, the hot water maker was emitting steam, representing a waste of energy. The required temperature for the hot water was investigated, and an improved controller was installed to maintain the heater at the required temperature, and prevent over-heating. The benefits of this project were difficult to quantify, as the hot water maker represents a small part of a complicated steam system at the site.

Improvements to the line-lube (conveyor lubrication and sanitisation) system were made by Schweppes Cottee's independently to the Demonstration Project, with the objectives of decreasing line-lube and water usage and reducing oil and grease concentrations in the wastewater discharged from the site. The improvements were made by line-lube supply company, at no cost to Schweppes Cottee's, and involved regulating flows and improving controls. The benefits of the line-lube project are documented in this report.

Schweppes Cottee's allocated the responsibility for implementing the projects to one of their site engineers. There was limited involvement by site management. While the projects were successful, progress was slower than anticipated. The benefits of the project could have been more widespread had management been more involved in the process, and more personnel been made available to work on the project. There appears to be some commitment from plant management to continue investigating and implementing other opportunities for cleaner production which were identified at the outset of the project.

Schweppes Cottee's, a division of Cadbury Schweppes Pty. Ltd., manufactures a number of products including cordial, jam, jelly, ice cream toppings, fruit snacks and coffee at its plant in Liverpool, NSW. The main basic raw ingredients used in production are sugar, fruit, food additives and water, which are processed on a number of production lines.

The manufacturing process typically involves the following steps:

• heating / cooking;
• blending / mixing; and
• bottling / packaging.

The production lines are as follows:

Jam Production:	J1	Jam
	J2	Hot fill juices and beverages
Cordial Production:	C1	Cordials
	C2	Bulk jam
	C3	Cordial jug line
	C4	Topping
	C5	Jam and topping
Dry Mix:		Fruit Snacks
		5 Coffee production / packaging lines
		4 Jelly packaging machines
		1 Saline line

An ancillary feature of the site is the blow-moulding plant, where six different types of plastic bottles are manufactured on 8 moulding machines.

At the outset of this project, approximately 161 million litres of water was used at the site per year, the majority of which is used for washing bottles and jars. Water is also used for washing down equipment and floors, sterilising equipment, and in-line washing of cooking and mixing vessels (CIP or Clean-In-Place). High quality water is required as any grit present could damage equipment. Water is therefore passed through sand filters to remove fine particles prior to use. Approximately 10 % of the water used at the plant is used in products. Approximately 80% of the water consumed at the site is discharged as wastewater, with the remainder used in the cooling towers and evaporated to atmosphere.

Services supplied to the site include steam, from two gas fired boilers, refrigeration, cooling water and compressed air.

The production workforce at Schweppes Cottee's is seasonal. In July, 1996 (low season) 125 people were employed at the site on the production lines. 21 people are plant supervisors / managers, 14 are engineers, technical support and QA personnel, 27 are tradespeople, 25 work in distribution (forklift drivers and supervisors), along with a small office / support workforce.

Plant supervisors and managers are primarily responsible for production. Environmental aspects associated with the line, such as energy and water usage and waste production, are not main features of their responsibilities.

Total Quality Management (TQM) teams comprising management and production personnel meet regularly to discuss and address issues such as water minimisation.

2.0 PLANNING AND ORGANISATION OF THE SCHWEPPES COTTEE'S CLEANER PRODUCTION PROJECT

At the outset of the project, during the application and assessment stages, Schweppes Cottee's demonstrated commitment for this project, having already identified water and wastewater as the areas in which cleaner production efforts could be concentrated.

A structured approach was used in the identification and implementation of Cleaner Production to Schweppes Cottee's. The approach was as follows:

1. Initial "review" of the site, conducted by Dames & Moore and Energetics in close discussion with Schweppes Cotteeís personnel. The purpose of this audit was to provide preliminary information on the operation of the site, and identify general cleaner production opportunities.
2. Follow up site visits and meetings between Energetics, Dames & Moore and Schweppes Cottee's, with the objective of reviewing site processes in more detail, and identifying specific cleaner production opportunities with potential to become cleaner production projects.
3. Evaluating the pros and cons associated with each of the potential cleaner production projects.
4. Selection of the project(s) to be implemented at the site (to be decided by Dames and Moore personnel in discussion with Schweppes Cotteeís management).
5. Implementing the selected project(s) and conducting any monitoring required to demonstrate the benefits of the project(s).

Schweppes Cottee's personnel involved in the Cleaner Production Project were:

Kevin Jeffress, Operations Manager:	Involved in initial discussions to identify opportunities for cleaner production at the site, and approved and allocated finances necessary for the implementation of the selected projects.
David Fox, Engineering Manager:	Responsible for the day-to-day running of the project. David was actively involved in identifying cleaner production opportunities, conducting any monitoring necessary, and implementing the selected projects.
Warren Pulling, Process Control Manager:	Provided technical support for selected aspects of the project, mostly in the area of monitoring.

From the outset, and throughout the course of the project, it was envisaged that Schweppes Cottee's were to be responsible for the day-to-day running of the project. Dames & Moore and Energetics acted as catalysts for ideas, responsible for providing technical back-up as required, and documenting the results of the project.

2.2 CLEANER PRODUCTION OPPORTUNITIES AT SCHWEPPES COTTEE'S

The specific cleaner production opportunities were identified by the consultant, Dames & Moore, during the initial site audit and in following visits. The opportunities were in three key areas:

• minimisation of water usage and wastewater;
• minimisation of energy usage; and
• BOD₅, oil and grease reduction in wastewater.

These are discussed in more detail below.

2.2.1 Minimisation of Water Usage and Wastewater

The water consumption at this site at the outset of the project was 161 ML per year, and effluent discharges averaged about 600 kL per day. This is a significant contributor to the overall cost of the operations and the site Total Quality Management (TQM) team had identified water usage and waste water minimisation as an important area that deserved review. The cost of supply of water and disposal of wastewater was calculated at $2/kL of water.

One of the major areas where water is used is in product container washing. This is typically required because of slight spillage of product over the outside of the container which will result in the container itself becoming sticky. Research has shown that sticky containers have a detrimental effect on the sales of product as when shoppers pick up a sticky container, they almost invariably replace it and try another, often from one of the opposition manufacturers.

While this water requirement is vital, an area for cleaner production opportunities was in the overall water consumption.

Ideas for the minimisation of water usage at the plant were as follows:

General

• Educating workers to use as little water as possible (for example, when washing out mixing vessels), and encouraging them to sweep/shovel up spills of product where possible, rather than using water to wash the spilled material down the drain;
• Fitting trigger nozzles on all hoses, to regulate the flow of water, and ensure that unattended hoses are not left running;
• Between flavour changes, rinse water for one mixing vessel could be re-used as first-wash water for the next mixing vessel;
• Some mixing vessels are equipped with internal "spray balls" for cleaning. The spray balls could be utilised in all mixing vessels for more efficient wash-out, if sufficient pressure is available;
• "Line-lube", a biocide / detergent-like mixture, is mixed with water and applied to all conveyors carrying product containers (empty and filled). There were opportunities for collecting and recycling line-lube;
• Optimise the line-lube sprayers, including switching off when the conveyor line is not running; and
• Utilising the water used to clean the sand filters ("backwash") rather than disposing it directly to sewer.

Jam Lines

• Prevent the overflow of water from the capping machine to the drain; and
• After jam jars have been filled with hot jam and capped, the filled jars are cooled in a Jam Cooler. Jars are conveyed through the cooler at a set rate, and cooled by contact with water. The water is pumped to the top of the cooler, passed through perforated screens onto the jam jars, collected in the base, and recycled to the top of the cooler. The cooling water is periodically replaced with clean water. Cooling water periodically overflowed from the Jam Cooler to the drain, uncontrolled. It was thought that the performance of the Jam Cooler could be improved by:

-Cleaning the screens in the cooler;

-Installing spray nozzles in the cooler to replace the current perforated plate system, to give more efficient cooling and reduce the water demand; and

-Water used at the end of the cooler appeared to be by-passing the jars, and was therefore not used for cooling. To prevent water flowing through this section of the cooler, the final pump could be switched off, or perforations in the last section of the cooler could be blocked off.

Fruit Snacks, and Cordial and Topping Plants

In each of these areas, containers are washed after they are filled, to eliminate any sticky residue on the outside of the container. In many of these areas, the washing system comprised one or two washes, with wash water discharged to the drain. Often, the container wash system continued to operate when containers were not on the conveyor, or when the conveyor was not running, resulting in wasted water. Possible improvements in these systems included:

• Installing efficient nozzles on the container-wash systems;
• Recycling the wash water; and
• Installing a simple control system whereby the wash water is switched off when the conveyor is not running.

The potential for savings in this area were expected to be excellent and some of the issues dealt with in this area are closely aligned with some of the housekeeping and operating practices.

Potential projects to minimise water usage were selected for further investigations as follows:

1. fitting trigger nozzles on hoses;
2. collecting and recycling line lube;
3. optimising line-lube sprayers, including switching off when the conveyor is not running;
4. utilising sand filter "backwash" water;
5. preventing overflow of water from the jam capping machine;
6. investigating options for improving the performance of the Jam Cooler; and
7. improving container wash system in the fruit snacks, cordial and topping plants:
   - install nozzles;
   - recycle wash water;
   - control so that system is not washing while line is not running.

2.2.2 Minimisation of Energy Use

Schweppes Cottees uses approxiamately 9.5 million kilowatt hours and 73, 200 m³ of gas each year. Ideas for the minimisation of energy usage at the plant were as follows:

• The "hot water maker" for the Cordial Plant was emitting steam. The efficiency of the heater could be improved by testing and possibly replacing the temperature control mechanisms;
• Install/upgrade steam traps. Steam traps comprise valve arrangements which are a means by which any condensed steam (water) can be removed from the steam line;
• Implement a steam trap inspection and maintenance procedure;
• Investigate and address steam leaks;
• Recover heat from the air compressor to produce hot water;
• Compressed air was being used to dry bottle caps in the Cordial lines. A more energy efficient drying method could be used here; and
• Change management accountability for energy use, such that individual plant supervisors would be responsible for energy use in their area.

Any reduction in steam usage not only results in a cost saving benefit for the company, but could also reduce the CO₂ emissions resulting from the burning of fossil fuels used to generate steam.

The following potential projects were identified for further investigation:

1. improve temperature control on the "hot water maker";
2. install/upgrade steam traps and steam isolation valves;
3. use an alternative to compressed air on cordial line cap-dryer; and
4. change management accountability for energy use, such that individual plant supervisors would be responsible for energy use in their area.

2.2.3 BOD₅ and Oil and Grease Reduction

Ideas for the reduction of BOD₅ concentrations in trade waste are as follows:

• The BOD₅ levels are approximately proportional to the hours spent in cordial production. That is, the more cordial produced, the higher the BOD₅ concentrations in the trade waste. The BOD₅ levels could be reduced in this area by:
  - Minimising spillage during the cordial filling process, by ensuring that cordial bottles are correctly lined-up for the filling machine;
  - Collecting cordial spilled from the filling machine, rather than allowing it to flow to the drain; and
  - Possibly recycling the cordial spilt during filling on the cordial line (providing line-lube can be eliminated from the line prior to filling).

• Ensuring that all drains are equipped with screens to reduce the amount of fruit solids in the trade waste;
• Through discussions with line workers, identify areas of the lines where spillage of product typically occurs, and place catch-trays under these areas. The catch-trays could be emptied into bins as required. A catch-tray could, for example, be placed on the jam line to catch spillage occurring before cans are sealed;
• Reduce the amount of jam bubbling over the edges of the jam cooking vessels, by extending the sides of the cookers.

The principal idea for the reduction of oil and grease concentrations in trade waste was as follows:

• Optimise the line-lube sprayers, including switching off when the conveyor line is not running.

Specific projects identified for further investigation were:

1. Prevent spillage and/or collect and recycle cordial spilt at the filling machine; and
2. Optimising line-lube sprayers, including switching off when the conveyor is not running.

3.0 CLEANER PRODUCTION INITIATIVES

3.1.1 Detailed Evaluation of Opportunity

Installation of Trigger Nozzles

Benefits :	Saving water, reducing wastewater volume, minimal installation cost.
Drawbacks:	Management has tried this approach before, with the experience that most of the nozzles were stolen, and felt that this problem would recur
Outcome:	Trigger nozzles were not installed.

Collecting and Recycling Line Lube/Controlling Line Lube Sprays

Benefits :

Approximately $45,000 is spent annually on 13 kL litres of line lube. Collecting and recycling line lube would reduce costs, wastewater volumes and water usage. Line lube has high concentrations of oil and grease. By reducing the amount of line lube used, concentrations of oil and grease in the wastewater would be reduced

Drawbacks:

During the timeframe of the Project, independent changes were being made to one of the jam lines, the changes included re-organisation and improvements in the line lube system on this line. Controlling line lube to co-ordinate with conveyor movement was seen to be a relatively complicated project. Management preferred to wait until the new system was installed, determine whether any lessons could be learnt from this system, and apply any improvements to the rest of the lines at a later stage. Discussions with line-lube suppliers and other manufacturers revealed that the collection and recycling of line lube may not be feasible, as the recycled line lube would have to be filtered and re-dosed prior to reuse.

Utilising Sand Filter Backwash Water

Benefits :	The volume of water used to backwash sand filters (which is currently disposed to sewer) is approximately 5,700 kL/year or approximately 3.5% of total water usage. This water is clean, containing very low concentrations of suspended solids and could be used for a variety of non-product uses. Opportunities for re-use included: cooling tower make-up water; boiler feed water; and line lube water. Water demands in these areas were monitored or estimated (where monitoring was not possible) as:
	Cooling Tower 1 Cooling Tower 2 Cooling Tower 5 Cooling Tower 6 Cooling Tower 7 Fruit Snacks Cooling Tower Boiler Feed Water Jam Plant Line Lube		2,048 kL/year 2,093 kL/year 786 kL/year 2,385 kL/year 539 kL/year 700 kL/year 11,947 kL/year 2,500 kL/year
	The benefits of collecting and reusing the filter backwash water were seen as:
		- reduction in water usage; and
		- reduction in wastewater volumes.
Drawbacks:	The collection and re-use of water involved initial flow measurements, and subsequent installation of piping and pumps. Collection tanks were available onsite. The costs to conduct flow measurements and install the recycling system were estimated at $2,500
Outcome:	It was decided to proceed with this project. The results of the project are discussed in later sections of this report.

Prevent overflow of water from the jam capping machine.

Clean water was overflowing from the jam capping machine directly to site drains. While investigating potential uses for this water, other areas where clean water is wasted, were identified, namely:

• water from the "gripper rinser" on the jam line is discharged to trade waste; and
• water from the bottle washer on the jam line is discharged to trade waste.

The volumes of water wasted in each of these areas were measured or estimated as:

Jam Line Cappers	5,200 kL/year
Gripper Rinser	7,340 kL/year
Bottle Washer	2,000 kL/year

This represents approximately 9% of sites total annual water usage.

As for the sand backwash water, there were opportunities to reuse this water as:

• cooling tower make-up;
• boiler feed water; and/or
• line-lube water.

An alternative to recycling the water, optimising the amount of water by putting a control valve in the line, was also considered.

Benefits :	The benefits of collecting and reusing this water are reduction in water usage and waste water volumes (total of 14,540 kL / year).
Drawbacks:	It was considered that installation of the complicated piping required to access the capping machines, gripper rinser and bottle washer was not the most feasible method of reducing water consumption in these areas.
Outcome:	It was decided that the collection and recycling system was not feasible at this stage. In order to reduce water wasted at the capping machines, the installation of throttle valves was proposed to control the rate of water flow. It was proposed that these valves be installed, at an estimated cost of $300.

Jam Cooler Improvements

The water level high-control system at the J1 jam cooler appeared to be working effectively. However, the recycling pumps in the cooler were found to be "cavitating" due to a lack of sufficient water, and throwing water out of the top of the cooler. It was initially thought that the screens controlling water flow may have been blocked, preventing water flow and thereby causing pump cavitation. The screens were removed but cavitation continued. The cause of the overflow was not determined.

Further possible jam cooler improvements were assessed qualitatively by comparing aspects of the cooler with the fruitsnacks cooler, which appeared to be operating with less waste of water. Further investigation revealed that water was fed to the Fruitsnacks cooler through an open-ended U-shaped pipe, which allowed water to enter the system at 2 points, and thus made more efficient use of the water available. Water is fed to the J1 jam cooler though one outlet only. While the J1 system could have been altered to more closely resemble the Fruitsnacks configuration, all fittings on the J1 cooler are (and must be) made of stainless steel, which is expensive to modify and difficult to weld.

Benefits :	It was difficult to measure the amount of water being wasted at the jam cooler, as overflows were periodic, and inefficiencies were difficult to quantify.
Drawbacks:	It was decided that any saving resulting from improvement of the jam cooler would be small when compared to some of the other cleaner production opportunities. It was considered that there would be some implementation difficulties with any specific initiatives
Outcome:	This project was not proceeded with as part of the cleaner production demonstration project, but may be followed up by Schweppes Cottee's at a later stage.

Improving Container Wash Systems

Container wash systems in the fruit snacks, cordial and topping plants waste significant quantities of water.

Fruit Snacks Container Wash

Clean water was being fed to the fruit snacks container wash system at a rate of approximately 40 L per minute, which equates to a water usage of 3,500 kL/year, which was eventually discharged to sewer. Water was fed to the container wash system through a series of 6 nozzles, which were similar to domestic "water-saving" shower nozzles. The use of more water-efficient nozzles had the potential to significantly reduce water usage. It was decided to install alternative nozzles which deliver a flat spray, the benefits of which are detailed in Section 3.3.1. These nozzles were also to be installed in other sections of the various production lines. Nozzles cost approximately $25 each plus plumbers' fees.

Cordial Line Container Wash Systems

There were three opportunities for reducing water being used and wasted in these systems.

1. Recycling Wash Water.
   The container wash system on most of the cordial lines is shown in Figure 1a. An improved system was installed on the C1 line around two years ago, and involves collection of wash water from the final rinse, and recycling to use as wash water for the first wash, thus reducing the need for mains water for the first wash (as indicated in Figure 1b). The amount of water being discharged to site drains in this area was not monitored, but the wash system clearly represented a continual source of water wastage. The container wash system was controlled such that the first and final rinse would automatically switch off when the conveyor was not running, and the pump could continue to operate, recycling the intermediate wash-water. It was proposed that the recycling system installed on the C1 be extended to the other cordial lines. The recycling system comprises piping, a collection tank with level control, and a pump. Costs for installation of this equipment were approximately $1,500.
2. Nozzles.
   The existing shower-style nozzles were not making optimum use of the available water. It was proposed that the shower nozzles be replaced with water-saving nozzles similar to those installed on the Fruitsnacks container wash system. Approximately 20 nozzles are present in each of the C1, C3, and C5 lines. Approximately 35 nozzles are present in the C4 topping line. Nozzles cost approximately $25 each plus plumbers fees.
3. System Control.
   To control the wash system to switch off when bottles are not on the conveyor, or are not moving on the conveyor, sensors and process control equipment is required.

Topping Plant Wash Tunnel (C4)

The amount of mains water being used in this wash system was measured as 53 L/min, which equates to approximately 4,900 kL/year. This is heated to increase the cleaning efficiency. At present, there is little control over the water used in the wash tunnel. While water saver nozzles are used in the wash tunnel, a recycling system for the wash water, such as that used on the C1 line, could be implemented.

Benefits :	Container Wash water consists of a approximately 8% of the total quantity of the total amount of water used on the site. The identified projects would decrease water usage and discharges to sewer. The recycling of Topping Line Wash Tunnel would also decrease energy usage.
Drawbacks:	The optimising of the existing wash systems and the improved system control would require significant time from the main engineering manager on the site. New nozzles cost approximately $25 plus installation fees. Costs for the installation of the recycling wash water system on other cordial lines were estimated at $1,500.
Outcome:	The Fruit Snacks Container Wash was implemented at an early stage and not directly as a result of this project. Projects (1) and (2) on the Cordial Lines Container Wash Systems were selected for implementation, with implementation of project (3) at a later stage. The optimising of the Topping Plant Wash Tunnel was to be investigated following further trials on the C1 wash tunnel.

The cleaner production projects selected for implementation at the Schweppes Cottee's site were:

1. Utilising sand filter backwash water. The water was to be collected and recycled for use as make-up water in selected cooling towers.
2. Installing throttle valves on the jam line capping machines, to reduce the amount of water wasted.
3. Replacement of nozzles on the Fruit Snacks container wash system and wash systems on the cordial lines, with nozzles which are more water-efficient.
4. Installing container wash water recycling systems (similar to the C1 cordial container wash tunnel) on other cordial lines.

3.1.2 Project Implementation

Utilising Sand Filter Backwash Water

The sand filter backwash water is collected in a tank, and pumped to Cooling Towers 1 and 2 to be used instead of mains water.

The filter backwash water is pumped to a main collection tank adjacent to the cooling towers by a pump which is pressure-activated. Water is gravity fed from the tank to the cooling towers. Level control in the cooling towers activates valves which open to allow water to fill to the desired level in the towers. Mains water is provided as a backup, should the filter backwash system fail for some reason.

Equipment required included:

• 2 tanks to collect the filter backwash water (pre-existing);
• a pump;
• PVC piping (approximately 40 metres);
• a central collection tank (relocated from another area of the plant); and
• float switches.

The equipment was installed by contract plumbers in June 1996, and is to commence operation in July 1996. Capital and installation costs associated with implementation of the project were $3,500.

Installing Throttle Valves On The Jam Line Capping Machine

The throttle valves were not installed during the course of the project, however these will be installed at a later date.

Container Wash Nozzles

Water saving nozzles of the flat spraying variety were installed by contract plumbers in the various wash systems as indicated below:

Location of wash system	No. of nozzles replaced	Cost	When Installed	Water flowrate to system prior to nozzle replacement(1)	Water flowrate to system following nozzle replacement(1)
Fruitsnacks	6	$350	Aug '95	39 L/min	2.3 L/min
Cordial C1	20	$800	Sept '95	37 L/min	8.5 L/min
Cordial C3	20	$800	Oct '95	Not measured	Not measured
Topping C4	35	$1,180	Nov '95	57 L/min	Not measured
Cordial C5	20	$800	Dec '95	Not measured	Not measured

Note:

1. Measured using a bucket and stopwatch.

Recycling Wash Water On The Cordial Line

The recycling system on C1 line collects water from the final rinse, and uses it as "first-wash" water. The system comprises a collection tank with level control, piping, a pump, and a flowmeter which measures the amount of mains water used in the wash system. The system was installed in 1994 by site fitters and contract plumbers. Purchase and installation of the equipment cost $1,500.

This system was to be used as a model, and installed on other container wash systems, however was not extended to other wash systems in the course of this project.

3.1.3 Results

Utilising Sand Filter Backwash Water

Total volume of water saved by implementing system	4,140 kL / year
Unit cost for supply and disposal of water	$ 2 / kL
Cost savings associated with water savings	$ 8,280 / year
Cost of purchasing and installing equipment	$ 3,500
Payback period	5 months

Container Wash Nozzles

The results of installing water-saving nozzles on the container wash systems are summarised in Table 1. In summary:

Total volume of water saved by implementing system	7,950 kL / year
Unit cost for supply and disposal of water	$ 2 / kL
Cost savings associated with water savings	$ 15,900 / year
Cost of purchasing and installing equipment	$ 3,390
Payback period	10 weeks

Recycling Wash Water On The Cordial Line

The amount of mains water being used in the container wash system on the cordial line was not monitored prior to the installation of the recycling system. We estimate that the recycling system halved the consumption of mains water. Following installation of the system, the usage of mains water was monitored (by the flowmeter) and found to be around 37 L/min, which equates to an annual figure of 2,650 kL. The estimated savings associated with the recycling system are:

Estimated water saving following installation of the recycling system	2,650 kL / year
Unit cost for supply and disposal of water	$ 2 / kL
Cost saving associated with water saving	$ 5,300
Cost of supplying and installing equipment	$ 1,500
Payback Period	3.4 months

This demonstrates that significant savings are possible by recycling wash water in other areas of the plant.

SUMMARY OF RESULTS OF WATER SAVING INITIATIVES

Schweppes Cotteeís will save over 14. 7 million litres of water and $29, 560 each year as a result of their water savings initiatives. The total cost of installing the water saving equipment was $8390.

NOTE:
1. No monitoring data available, performance has been assumed to be the same as the C1 wash system.
2. No monitoring data available after the nozzles were installed. A 80% reduction in water usage has been assumed (as was measured for the C1 wash system).

General

The consumption of mains water at the site is measured via a single flowmetre. Daily readings are taken, and summarised into a report which indicates the water usage for each 4 week period. To indicate the benefits of the cleaner production initiatives at the site in general terms, the production and water consumption figures for the first 20 weeks in 1995 and 1996 have been compared:

	First 20 weeks of 1995	First 20 weeks of 1996
Production (in kgs and litres of product)	19,615,123	18,924,701
Water consumption (kL)	81,187	70,412

This information indicates that while production in 1996 was approximately 4% less than in 1995, water consumption was 13% less in 1996 than it was in 1995. This water saving would translate to a roughly equivalent reduction in wastewater being discharged from the site.

3.2 MINIMISATION OF ENERGY USE

3.2.1 Detailed Evaluation of Opportunity

Hot Water Maker

Steam provided to heat the hot water tank was found to be controlled by a pneumatic control valve. The control valve is regulated via an input to pressure (I to P) converter, which receives signals from the thermocouple inside the tank and delivers a varying air pressure to the control valve to increase or decrease the steam rate as required. Water was found to be present in the compressed air at the site, a problem which is fairly common across industry, and was damaging the I to P converter.

The solution to this problem is to replace the control mechanism with a mechanically controlled steam valve, eliminating the need for compressed air in the control system.

Benefits :	By addressing this problem, the hot water temperature can be controlled more accurately, preventing the wastage of steam and energy. The economic benefits are difficult to quantify as the hot water heater is a small part of a complicated steam network, and it is not possible to directly measure the steam being wasted
Drawbacks:	There were no perceived drawbacks from this project.
Outcome:	This project was therefore implemented.

Steam Traps and Steam Isolation Valves

The Schweppes Cottee's site has close to 100 steam traps, within the numerous plants on site. Based on experience from other plants it could be expected that 5-10 % of these steam traps would be not working or not working effectively. This would lead to wasted steam and higher output of the boiler. At the Schweppes Cottee's plant there appeared to be live steam returning with the condensate, suggesting that some, or many of the steam traps were not working effectively.

Two initiatives were considered to address this problem. The first involved the implementing of a planned inspection and maintenance procedure for the steam traps on the site so as to ensure that the steam traps were operating as required. The second involved putting steam and condensate isolation valves in the steam system such that individual plant areas could be isolated so that any energy losses from the steam system for individual plants would not occur when the individual plant was not operating and so as to allow easier maintenance of steam traps within the plants.

Benefits :	If 5 - 10% steam traps are not working effectively this could represent a significant energy loss. Other organisations who have implemented a steam system as outlined above receive significant energy savings. This leads to lower energy costs, with the environmental benefits of decrease greenhouse gas emissions, reduced NOx emissions and reduced resource usage.
Drawbacks:	The present steam system has been the result of numerous additions to the site over many years. No integrated steam system presently exists and only limited information is available on steam piping routes and takeoffs. A reasonable amount of time and cost would be required to identify all steam pipelines and traps and some work and costs would be associated with the redirecting of steam lines in some areas and the installation of isolation valves to allow for the isolation of the steam system to individual plants.
Outcome:	As there was a significant amount of work to be done for this initiative, the project did not go ahead within the timeframe of the Project. Schweppes Cottee's plan to proceed with the initiative in the near future.

Alternative to Compressed Air on Cap-Dryers

Air is used to dry bottles and jars prior to labelling and ink marking. At about 36 places compressed air is used for this purpose. The air is directed onto the bottles by air knife or by squashing the end of copper tubing and using this as a nozzle. The use of compressed air for this purpose is an inefficient use of energy used to compress the air.

The initiative proposed was to replace areas where compressed air is used by a fan and a dedicated air knife.

Benefits :	The proposed system would result in a decrease in energy usage associated with the compressed air. The cost benefit associated with this is difficult to determine.
Drawbacks:	The proposed initiative would require capital costs associated with the provision of blowers and associated air knife jets. In some cases new electrical connections would also be required.
Outcome:	As there was a significant amount of work to be done for this initiative, the project did not go ahead within the timeframe of the Project. Schweppes Cottee's plan to proceed with the initiative in the near future.

Revised Energy Management Structure

At present, individual plants are not accountable for the energy used at the plant, e.g. compressed air, steam and electricity. The accountability structure does not provide for an incentive to plant managers and engineers to set targets for energy usage and minimisation of energy for the plant.

The initiative here was to set up energy metering equipment on each plant to allow tracking of energy usage within the site as a first step to implementing a management structure that allows energy usage to managed and minimised.

Benefits :	The initiative would allow Schweppes Cottee's to monitor and manage energy usage around the site. An understanding of where energy is used would provide the first essential step in this process. The energy savings possible through this process are considered to be substantial, possible over 15%. If this was achieved Schweppes Cotteeís would save 1425 MW-hours of electricity and 10, 970 m3 of gas. This equates to 1400 tonnnes of CO2 per year for the electricity saving and 22 tonnes per year for the gas saving.
Drawbacks:	To implement the initiative significant time and cost would be required to track down compressed air, steam and electricity lines. Further time and cost would be required to redirect lines and install metering equipment. The initiative requires a change in responsibility to plant managers. This would require consultation and training with them to enable the revised energy management system to be implemented effectively.
Outcome:	As there was a significant amount of work to be done for this initiative, the project did not go ahead within the timeframe of the Cleaner Production Demonstration Project. However, it is recognised that significant advantages could be obtained through this process. As a result, Schweppes Cottee's plan to proceed the initiative with respect to steam usage in the near future.

Following evaluation, Schweppes Cottees decided to proceed with the replacement of the controller on the hot water maker to conserve energy.

3.2.2 Project Implementation

The implementation of this initiative was straight forward with the installation of a mechanically controlled steam valve to regulate steam to heat the hot water maker.

3.2.2 Results

No specific details are available on the energy and costs savings associated with this initiative.

3.3 BOD₅ AND OIL AND GREASE REDUCTION

3.3.1 Detailed Evaluation of Opportunity

Prevent Spillage and/or Collect and Recycle Cordial Spilt at the Filling Machine

There were opportunities to reduce BOD₅ in the wastewater (and minimise product wastage) by reducing the amount of cordial spilt at the cordial filler. The causes of cordial spillage at the filler appear to be:

• misalignment of bottles feeding onto the filler, resulting in a poor seal between the filler and the bottle, the bottle not being fully filled and subsequently being pushed off the line; and
• bottles breaking in the filler, being pushed off the line and the contents wasted.

Spillage from the filler drains onto the floor and to the site sewer.

The alternative to reducing waste was to collect and recycle the spilt cordial. Line lube is used on the conveyor carrying the empty bottles to the filler. Thus, to collect and recycle spilt cordial, line lube would have to be eliminated from those conveyors feeding the filler so that the recycled cordial is not contaminated with impurities.

The possibility of not using line-lube on conveyors transporting empty bottles to the filler was discussed with operational personnel. The line supervisor reported that, on occasions where for some reason the line-lube system failed and lube was not applied to the conveyor, the bottles fall over and will not pass through the sorter efficiently.

Although the amounts of cordial produced and bottled are recorded at the site, these figures have a wastage factor built into them. Therefore, it was not possible to determine exactly how much cordial was being wasted at the filler.

Benefits :	The proposed system would reduce product wastage and decrease BOD levels in discharges to sewer. This would result in increased productivity and decrease in wastewater discharge costs. The economic benefits were such that a 20% decrease in BOD level would result in a 10% decrease in wastewater charges (c/kL).
Drawbacks:	Schweppes Cottee's advised that the filler had been recently upgraded, and the subject of a number of studies, and did not think that further improvement in the performance of the filler was possible. There were some operability concerns.
Outcome:	As the perceived benefits of the potential project were difficult to accurately determine, and the solution to the problem appeared to be complicated, this project was not implemented.

Optimising Line-lube Sprayers

The primary source of oil and grease in the wastewater system is associated with line lube chemical in the wastewater. Minimising the amount of line lube on the conveyors has the potential to decrease the amount of oil and grease disposed of to sewer.

Benefits :	Approximately $45,000 is spent annually on 13,000 litres of line lube. Collecting and recycling line lube would reduce costs, wastewater volumes and water usage. Line lube has high concentrations of oil and grease. By reducing the amount of line lube used, concentrations of oil and grease in the wastewater would be reduced. The financial benefits in decreasing oil and grease in the wastewater are not great as the contribution of oil and grease to the total wastewater costs is about 1%.
Drawbacks:	During the timeframe of the cleaner production project, independent changes were being made to one of the jam lines, the changes included re-organisation and improvements in the line lube system on this line. Controlling line lube to co-ordinate with conveyor movement was seen to be a relatively complicated project. Management preferred to wait until the new system was installed, determine whether any lessons could be learnt from this system, and apply any improvements to the rest of the lines at a later stage. Discussions with line-lube suppliers and other manufacturers revealed that the collection and recycling of line lube may not be feasible, as the recycled line lube would have to be filtered and re-dosed prior to reuse.
Outcome:	The improvement of the line-lube system was not completed as part of this project. As part of the jam line improvements being independently implemented, the type of line-lube product used was changed. The benefits of this changeover are documented in Section 3.3.3.

3.3.2 Project Implementation

Separate to the initiatives undertaken as part of this project, the line lube system on the cordial and jam production lines has been improved,. The improvements were completed by line-lube suppliers, Diversey, at no cost, and involved:

• changeover to the Diversey product;
• timing line lube to spray only when the conveyors were operating; and
• automatically regulating the flow of line lube to correspond to the varying demands on different sections of the production lines.

Equipment installed as part of the improvements remains the property of Diversey.

3.3.3 Results

Improvements to the line-lube system have resulted in:

• an estimated annual saving of around $10,000 to $20,000 in line-lube used; and
• an associated decreased usage of water in the line-lube.
• water in the jam cooler now has to be emptied and changed every 4 weeks instead of every week, saving around 335 kL/yr of water .

Other benefits which are though to be attributed to the new line-lube system are:

• a decrease in the amount of oily "scum" visible in the trade waste (the wastewater outlet point); and
• a measurable reduction in oil and grease concentrations in the wastewater, as illustrated in Figure 2.

4.0 REVIEW OF PROJECT

While the project was a success at Schweppes Cottee's, there was scope for increasing the benefits of the project. Achievements at Schweppes Cottee's were mainly limited by the fact that the various projects were to be implemented by one person at the site, who was extremely busy, and there were no personnel made available to which aspects of the projects could be delegated.

The implementation and day-to-day monitoring of the project was the responsibility of one engineer. The project may have been more successful had more of Schweppes Cottee's personnel been involved to share the workload. As a result, actual implementation of the various projects was slower to start, and took longer, than expected, mainly due to lack of resources.

During the course of the project, Schweppes Cottee's advised that corporate management had placed a restriction on capital expenditure at the site, which would affect the commitment of finances to the project. This restriction was shortly lifted, and did not have an adverse impact on the success of the project.

• In retrospect, the project may have been more successful if:
• Higher management (both in head office and onsite) had a stronger understanding of the potential benefits of cleaner production, and were more prepared to commit resources to the Demonstration Project; and
• Line supervisors had a continuing close involvement in the project from the outset.

Actual costs and benefits of implementing the projects were largely as anticipated.

There appears to be some commitment to continue investigating and implementing the other opportunities for cleaner production identified at the site. Cleaner production initiatives have been implemented at the site independent of this project, with significant benefits.

5.0 CONCLUDING REMARKS

A key lesson from this case study is that the process of compiling environmental and process data in itself plays an important role in the identification of Cleaner Production initiatives. Furthermore old sites, which have had processes added to or modified, are likely to have the potential to significantly improve utility efficiency with resulting environmental and economic benefits through Cleaner Production initiatives.

The other key lessons identified in the case study that the once the initiatives have been identified, organisation have can have significant flexibility in the implementation of the initiatives, especially when the initiatives are relatively simple and have low capital cost.

6.0 SCHWEPPES COTTEE'S PERSPECTIVE

We were able to reduce water and energy consumption in a number of areas of our factory and therefore save money. Another benefit was to gain a greater understanding of our factory as far as where the energy and other resources were used. Prior to this project, we only had rough numbers or numbers that covered the entire site with respect to water and energy use. Following the project we are able to break down into specific areas water and energy consumption to easily measure any improvements.

Early on in the project a number of possible opportunities were identified. Most of these required a lot of investigation to see if they are viable. At the time we were extremely busy with production, one line in particular was operating 24 hours per day, 6 days per week which made it difficult to work on the project. Tradesmen were also busy supporting production and largely unavailable for project work.

None of the opportunities identified had any large dollar savings, that is enough to justify extra resources which would have had to come from outside the company. For us to justify extra resources, we needed to identify the savings that would have come as part of the project. We could not do this while we were gathering the information to see if the project was viable.

We will continue to work on all the initiatives identified in the report. I will be happy to give details to the EPA. As the cost of water and energy continues to rise, some of the projects become more viable.

Other similar demonstration projects would be beneficial to industry if it can show them that you can do things better or in a way that saves you time, money or resources. We should always be looking at ways of doing things better as technology is changing all the time. If you are not prepared to change you will be left behind. We have proved that we can do things better on our site and save money and resources at the same time, so it is possible to do similar things at other companies."

David Fox
Engineering Manager