Track: Sustainability and Green Systems

Abstract

Going green is an inevitable manufacturing practice in the midst of growing concerns over the need to reduce
environmental waste. Compared with the pre-industrialization era, the carbon footprint has increased from 228 ppm
to 413.3 ppm, landfills have increased and so has the leaching of toxins into nearby water bodies. The food industry
is one of the largest contributors to the current state of the environment and hence, the reality of the need for waste
reduction within the industry cannot be overemphasized. This paper assesses the dairy, soft drink and bakery
industries, and brings the following to the attention to the manufacturer: waste production, energy losses, pollution
and its impact to the environment during each stage of the product lifecycle. Particular attention is paid to the
current production processes, and these are critically analyzed, considering the raw materials, the processing, and the
final products. Finally, the paper proposes solutions on the manufacturing process and on how the wastes can be
avoided, reduced, reused, recycled, recovered, treated and disposed responsibly.