Heinz has reduced its carbon emissions by 17,000 tons since 2006 at its UK factories in Kendal, Cumbria and Kitt Green with the help of Carbon Trust, reports Food and Drink Digital.
The foods company also has cut its energy costs at the UK factories, saving more than 13 percent of its annual energy costs in the Kitt Green food-processing complex alone, over the last two years, reports Carbon Trust. An energy audit of Heinz' production lines helped the foods company achieve the energy savings.
Heinz energy managers discovered that a lot of energy was required to heat cold water to rehydrate the dried beans, as well as create the steam to cook the beans in their cans, reports Food and Drink Digital.
By capturing and recycling the waste heat from these processes, less energy is now needed to heat the water, which also has resulted in a drop in carbon emissions, says Carbon Trust.
Hugh Jones, director, solutions, the Carbon Trust, told the news site that there many opportunities to save energy and cut carbon emissions by changing the way companies manufacture everyday products.
Other initiatives that helped Heinz cut energy use and carbon emissions include improving the efficiency of its boilers and making design changes to production line machines.
The foods company also is looking at ways to produce power from waste and use more renewable energy in an effort to help the company meet its goal to cut global carbon emissions 20 percent, based on 2005 levels, by 2015, reports Carbon Trust.
Heinz, along with some of the UK's largest retailers Asda, Boots, Tesco and Sainsbury’s, also has voluntarily agreed to reduce the carbon footprint of its grocery packaging by 10 percent by 2012.
