Toolkit for smaller businesses to cut water use

A new water saving toolkit for small to medium businesses aims to help them examine their water use against industry benchmarks and cut down consumption, said the RMIT researcher behind it. Dr Nira Jayasuriya said the firms can access detailed information on how to improve their water use by simply inputting information from current operations. Dr Jayasuriya, from RMIT’s School of Civil, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, said the toolkit – which can be downloaded free of charge from the food manufacturing industry network Plenty Food Group  website (http://www.plentyfoodgroup.com.au/water/)  – works by first classifying businesses according to the food product they manufacture and establishing the relevant water performance benchmarks.

The program takes users through a series of windows to determine how water is used in manufacturing, comparing the various processes with industry benchmarks and cross-checking the total volume consumed with actual billing data. Companies can compare their water use with the key performance indicators in the toolkit, for example, 15kL per tonne of poultry processed, or 0.23kL per tonne in biscuit making.

The next steps include exploring a range of water saving options, such as using water saving high-powered nozzles for cleaning, retrofitting their facilities, re-sequencing production processes to efficiently use water, or the use of alternative sources such as rainwater. All the measures take into account strict regulations involved in food manufacturing.

Dr Jayasuriya said food processing uses more water than any other industry around Australia, consuming more than 241 GL of water each year. The toolkit was developed specifically for food manufacturers, but the information it provides could be useful for “any other manufacturing businesses looking to cut their water use”. More on this story from http://www.environmentalmanagementnews.net/StoryView.asp?StoryID=1002351

New Scientist identifies its top ten myths about Sustainability

New Scientist magazine consulted with a number of its experts to come up with its top ten list of myths about sustainability. They included:
Myth 1: Nobody knows what sustainability really means.
Myth 2: Sustainability is all about the environment.
Myth 3: “Sustainable” is a synonym for “green.”
Myth 4: It’s all about recycling.
Myth 5: Sustainability is too expensive.
For New Scientist’s other 5 myths and the reasons why they were selected go to: http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=top-10-myths-about-sustainability

With thanks for drawing attention to this article to Glen Moore, Director of Wollongong Science and Planetarium (http://sciencecentre.uow.edu.au)

Japan’s Polyester goes closed loop

Teijin Fibers Limited, a Japanese polyester polymers, fibres and textiles company, has been promoting a closed-loop recycling system for polyester products, known as the ECO CIRCLET since 2002. Japan for Sustainability reports that the number of ECO CIRCLET member companies reached 100 in late last year.

ECO CIRCLET utilizes Teijin Fibers' innovative chemical recycling technology for polyester products as a core element. Its unique recycling technology is a world first in this field. The technology enables decomposition of used polyester products at the molecule level, followed by reproduction of new polyester fibres. In addition, this process can be repeated multiple times. The energy consumption, as well as carbon dioxide emissions, can be reduced by 80 percent when compared production from petroleum.

To view the full article visit Japan for Sustainability  http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/028732.html . This information comes from the Resource Recovery Forum www.resourcesnotwaste.org

Is CO2 so bad after all?

We know that Methane has a larger impact than CO2 for its greenhouse gas effect but now researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have come up with an ever bigger culprit. They have said that sulfuryl fluoride – a gas previously thought safe for the environment and currently used as a fumigant to control pest insects typically in agriculture – is 4,800 times more damaging than CO2 in its capacity to cause global warming. The gas, Sulfuryl fluoride (SO2F2) was originally developed by the US-based Dow Chemical Company and gained US EPA approval earlier this decade.

MIT researchers said the silver lining is that it hasn't been in use for long, and that it has a 36-year lifespan, which is relatively short compared to other gases. "We've caught it very early in the game," said Ronald Prinn, the TEPCO Professor of Atmospheric Science in MIT's Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences. The gas replaced methyl bromide, a fumigant which is being phased out for its warming effects. "Such fumigants are very important for controlling pests in the agricultural and building sectors," said Prinn, who is also director of MIT's Center for Global Change Science and a co-author of the paper detailing the finding. It will be reported in this month's Journal of Geophysical Research. Story sourced from http://www.environmentalmanagementnews.net/StoryView.asp?StoryID=1002656

Events to support business survival and growth

The NSW Department of State and Regional Development is hosting the following free seminars for businesses at Level 2, 470 Church St North Parramatta.

Financial Mastery for Business Owners, 7 April 2009, 8.30 am – 10.30 am: Ben Fewtrell of ActionCOACH Business Coaching shows how to simplify the basics of business numbers and gain control of its main resource, cash.  Ben also reveals how mastering numbers might lead to increased cash flow and profits.

Each participant can download cash flow forecasting, budgeting and break even analysis tools. For more details and to register on line click on: http://events.smallbiz.nsw.gov.au/Events.aspx?eventid=58

Recession Proof Marketing 15 April 2009, 8.30 am – 10.30 am: Step Change Communications presenters Simon Rutherford and Ashton Bishop, demonstrate how to recession-proof a business by using strategic marketing. 
Almost 90 per cent of small businesses fail within the first five years, and the number is rising. Presently more than 500 Australian businesses fail each month. For more details and to register on line click on: http://events.smallbiz.nsw.gov.au/Events.aspx?eventid=59

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