Sustainable filtration technologies
As an environmentally responsible company, Tetra Pak is at the forefront with a dedicated strategy focusing on sustainable use of natural resources with due regard to the profitability and sustainability of our customers’ businesses. By means of innovative technology, we are constantly developing new ways to reduce the resource usage, product wastage, and effluents of food producers to protect the environment:
VarioBoost power-saving software
The software optimizes the speed control of the booster pumps automatically, thereby achieving up to 50 % power savings. VarioBoost is an integral part of new Tetra Pak membrane filtration solutions.
Patent on the software is pending.
Benefits
- The software helps the booster pumps run at the lowest possible speed without changing the performance of the membrane filtration plant
- Reduced need for cooling, adding to the power saving
- Longer membrane lifetime
- Lower risk of telescoping of membranes, as the flow over the membranes is reduced
White water recovery
White water is the first flush water in connection with cleaning of a process line after production. It contains approx. 1/3 milk and 2/3 water.
By means of reverse osmosis filtration, valuable solids from the flush water can be recovered and the water retrieved.
Depending on local legislation, the milk solids can be used for:
- Yogurt
- Ice cream
- Cheese
- Fermented products
Benefits
- No waste of product
- Considerable reduction of waste water discharge and effluent charges
- Reuse of water, reduced water consumption
- Very short payback period
Green Flush
Green Flush is a highly resource-saving, software-based solution for effective flushing of a membrane filtration plant.
Compared to a traditional full plant flush, Green Flush reduces water consumption and the flow volume required for effective flushing.
Benefits
- Reduced flushing time and resource usage by up to 40%, compared to a traditional full plant flush
- Considerable reduction of wastewater discharge and effluent charges
CIP Recovery
Cleaning of milk powder plants requires large volumes of lye.
After a CIP (cleaning in place), the lye contains dissolved and suspended matter, making it unsuitable for direct use in a new CIP sequence.
As an alternative to dumping large quantities of spent lye, Tetra Pak has developed a separation method which regenerates 70% to 90% of spent lye.
Benefits
- Chemical consumption reduced
- More efficient cleaning
- Considerable reduction of wastewater discharge and effluent charges
- Reuse of water, reduced water consumption
- No energy loss from cooling or heating, as the process can run at 80°C, making it unnecessary to cool the lye prior to separation
Water recovery and savings
Water is an important part of any food production. Accessibility to water and local legislative requirements can influence the day-to-day business.
Focus on water recovery and savings helps ensure a more robust business against water issues and create a more sustainable company profile.
Our Water Competence Center offers an assessment of the various water side streams in dairy and food production, comprising:
- Initial screening on site and alignment on current situation and issues
- Assessment of existing practices and available materials.
- Alignment with local legislation
- Suggestions for improvements
- Testing of applications.
ESA™
The ESA™ or Energy Saving ATD (Anti-Telescoping Device) is a technology that reduces power consumption of membrane filtration plants significantly.
Benefits
- 10-40% reduction of the flow in the loops (energy savings)
- Reduced need for cooling
- Increased membrane area/capacity with the same installed power
- Possibility of energy subsidies in some countries
Concentration
Transportation of milk and whey and other food products for further processing contributes heavily to the environmental footprint and is costly.
Concentration of the product by means of reverse osmosis removes water from the product and raises the total solids content.
Thus, it is possible to transport 3 or 4 times as much dry matter per transport unit.
Benefits
- Considerable reduction of transport costs (two thirds)
- Reduced CO2 emission
- Reuse of excess water as process water
