Strategies for Sustainable Food Production
Agriculture is the dominant user of natural resources and a predominant source of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). While the food sector consumes only 5 percent of the total energy used by all other industries, it accounts for 82 percent of the total water used and 18 percent of total GHG emissions. Armstrong partners with leading food processors to address these two key sustainability issues enabling food processors to meet the growing consumer demand for green product choices.
Wise Water Use & Wastewater Discharge Reduction
H.J. Heinz L.P., one of the world's leading marketers of branded foods to retail and food service channels, has made a strong commitment to reduce its environmental footprint and protect natural resources for future generations. Armstrong partners with processors like Heinz to reduce overall water use and wastewater discharge by owning, operating and maintaining the utility assets of plants in Iowa, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Through a team of on-site employees, Armstrong has helped Heinz conserve water and optimize wastewater treatment processes that save hundreds of thousands of dollars in annual operating expenses and help Heinz avoid millions in capital upgrade expenditures. Additionally, Heinz and Armstrong have received environmental awards for their efforts in achieving compliance with municipal wastewater discharge regulations.
GHG Emission Reduction
Climate Leaders, the EPA industry-government partnership that provides guidance and recognition to companies developing long-term strategies to reduce GHG emissions, now has more than 150 member companies. Armstrong is proud to partner with many of these to support their efforts to reduce GHG emissions at facilities around the world. Armstrong works with leading beverage manufacturers such as Coca-Cola, and meat and poultry processors like Wayne Farms, to replace out dated "energy hog" steam boilers with closed-loop Complete Thermal Exchange (CTE) hot water generation systems that deliver higher than 99 percent efficiency with very low emissions of nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide for a more environmentally friendly effect. Armstrong has also received certification from the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) for use of CTE hot water technology in burning methane gas from anaerobic digesters. Helping customers capture energy from alternative and renewable sources such as biomass and biogas is a growing area of investment for Armstrong.
Armstrong has also responded to growing concerns among food processors faced with EPA elimination of chemical treatments such as methyl bromide for insect control. Armstrong delivers safe and effective options such as steam heat to control pests in an environmentally friendly way.
