Environment stories

Tillery Valley achieves the Carbon Trust Standard
Tillery Valley, which produces meals for the education and healthcare sectors, was the first food manufacturing facility in Wales to achieve the Carbon Trust Standard.

Its comprehensive environmental management programme, including a new computer-based loading and routing system to minimise food delivery miles, a new plant layout and a move to 'just-in-time' production, helped to reduce its carbon intensity by over 19.5% per tonne of product manufactured over three years.

The Carbon Trust Standard is a marque of excellence that requires organisations to demonstrate they are measuring, managing and reducing greenhouse gas emissions through quantifiable year-on-year reductions. The Carbon Trust standard requires reassessment every two years.

More information:read the Carbon Trust press release and visit the Carbon Trust Standard website.

Water management at HMP Addiewell
At HMP Addiewell, a Sodexo Justice Services site, pressure push buttons have been fitted to all wash basins and showers and the 700 cells use controlled timers to ensure water use is kept to a minimum. Regular monthly water readings are taken from the main meter and all sub-meters.

“With a new site, we've had the opportunity to install water-saving devices from the outset but still make sure we monitor consumption.”
Bob Campbell, FM manager, HMP Addiewell, Sodexo Justice Services

Sodexo Silver in the Irish Green Hospitality Awards
In its first year of entry, Sodexo in Ireland received an Eco-label silver medal in the Green Hospitality Award for Excellence in Environmental Management and achieved the award at over 15 further sites.

The awards programme, funded by the Environmental Protection Agency, is the only Irish programme to be recognised internationally and is the most successful environmental management programme for the hospitality sector in Europe.

In joining the scheme, Sodexo committed to establishing a formal EMS for the catering operations at a pilot site and improving its environmental performance. This was achieved by  Sodexo team at a client in Limerick by separating cardboard and plastic for recycling, and reducing our consumption of electricity, gas, water and paper towels in the kitchen and restaurant while customers reduced their use of disposable cups. The programme reduced waste to landfill by 50%, water consumption by 50% and energy consumption by 30%.

More information: visit the Green Hospitality Awards website.

Wormery wonder
Food waste at Dunraven School in Streatham, South West London is turned into perfect compost to improve the ground by a vast army of worms.

Sodexo's general manager, Linda Sumners introduced a wormery to the school some three years ago and it has proved a very effective alternative to a compactor, which was previously used to dispose of the waste. The wormeries stand four feet high and 10 feet long and contain thousands of worms, which eat through the food waste, creating a rich, nutrientfilled black compost. They are completely enclosed and padlocked shut for health and safety purposes. “It all has to be done correctly,” says Linda. “We store food waste, egg shells and bread in bins. “A contractor comes along frequently and grinds up the waste, before spreading it over the surface of the wormery. The good compost drops through to a tray at the bottom.”

The wormery was set up using a layer of peat to which several bags of worms and later food waste were added and it's proved a fascinating study for students taking part in science lessons.

Debbie's electric!
Catering manager Debbie Jones takes to the wheel of Sodexo's new 'work horse' at Unilever's Port Sunlight research and development site. an electric van.

The Mega Van replaces trolleys used to take stock from a central warehouse to the staff restaurant, coffee bars and vending machines, and buffet food to hospitality events, on site. It has helped Sodexo reduce its carbon footprint because it has replaced a diesel van that was borrowed when the team was extra busy. Debbie said: “The vehicle is good to drive - very smooth and quiet, and although we could recharge it every night, we find it will go for a few days without being recharged.”

Apart from being cost-effective and greener than a diesel van, the Mega Van is also a big improvement for staff. “The trolleys used to cause vibration to the hand when you had to get them over the car park or rough ground,” said Debbie. The Mega Van is restricted to the site's 10mph speed limit - and while it has no gears, it has a boost button for going up hills. Sodexo serves around 1,300 staff and contractors on the site, which was formerly a golf course.

Cleaning up
Sodexo has been working with its global hygiene partner, Ecolab. for over 10 years to ensure its cleaning really is better for the environment.

“Cleaning products have an impact that we have to balance with the necessary standards of safety, hygiene and cleanliness on sites.” says Sodexo environment manager, Paul Bracegirdle.

Using super-concentrated products, for instance, has helped to lower emissions, cut waste and reduce water use. Based on its 2010 volume on just one product, Sodexo saved some 40 tonnes of waste. What's more, the company saved on road miles, cutting emissions thanks to fewer products being carted around the country.  Ecolab's enzyme-based 'Wash 'n Walk' surface cleaner has reduced water usage by eliminating the need for rinsing and the fact it cleans with cold water saves energy too.

Paul adds: “We want people to see us taking this seriously, because we do. When others see some of the savings we are making with a few simple changes then perhaps it'll appear on their radar too.”

More information: read the Cleaning Up full article published in Food Service Footprint, July 2011, pp.28-29.

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