With the lack of rainfall in the heartlands causing grain futures to trend upward and water shortages on everybody’s mind, conserving and reusing water has been a major push for several food and beverage processors. Recently, ConAgra Foods’ internal Sustainable Development Awards program, has conserved more than 295 million gallons of water. For example, ConAgra’s Lamb Weston plant in Hermiston, OR reduced its daily water usage by 24 percent.
Pepsico’s Frito-Lay Casa Grande manufacturing facility, in competition with municipal water treatment plants, won a 2012 US Water Prize from the Clean Water America Alliance. The facility, which was named Food Engineering’s 2011 Sustainable Plant of the Year, recycles 75 percent of the plant’s process water, enabling the facility to reduce its annual water use by 100 million gallons. The plant is also working toward zero waste in utilities and energy usage.