Cleaner production methodology in dairy industries

Abstract

Cleaner production involves the techniques and technologies used in the industry to supply long-life products, which are recyclable or reusable, by means of processes that optimize the use of resources with minimal environmental impact.

In Mexico, many small dairy industries do not have the technological capacity to treat or reuse whey, which produces wastewater with high concentrations of organic matter depleting oxygen in water. The discharge of whey to receiving water bodies is also a waste of materials still having nutritional and monetary value, because whey can be used to manufacture products for human consumption or for animal feeding.

The cleaner production actions documented in this article were implemented successfully in a small dairy specialized in the production of Edam cheese and that is located in the Czech Republic. The actions were focused on reducing by filtration the amount of organic matter discharged to recover the proteins and to use them to make cheese. Besides, protein-free whey was used for the production of animal feed, and the volume of effluents was diminished by a redesign of the piping system.

In this company, the results of the implementation of a cleaner production program were environmentally friendly and economical, because the volume of wastewater decreased, as well as the costs of the consumption of water, while additional profits could be obtained from the sale of products.