Water water everywhere
I read somewhere a very long time ago that the wars of the future will be fought over basic resources, and water is going to be one of those top resources. Considering how valuable it is to humans and animals alike, we don’t half treat it badly. Currently, the British water companies are under fire for dumping and overflows into the rivers and seas. I have an app on my phone from the Surfers Against Sewage group here in the UK, and the Safer Seas & Rivers Service shows where there has been reports of outflows and other rather icky things to swim in, so that you may avoid going to that part of the sea that day.
With water deficits predicted to increase by 2050, it is somewhat heartening to notice that the dairy industry is one of the most active in the SAI Platform’s working groups, in getting best practice for resource management on farms in up and down the supply chain.
Meanwhile, here in the UK, Saputo Dairy UK (SDUK) has reduced the overall water intensity of its operations by 29% over the last six years, and around two thirds of the water needed for its manufacturing sites now comes from recycled sources, according to the Westcountry Rivers Trust.
At its Davidstow Creamery in Cornwall, water from the incoming milk is recovered from whey powder drying, and process water goes through advanced treatment to enable it to be reused. In combination, this reduces the requirement for freshwater to be imported from the environment by more than one million litres per day.
I leave the last word to Richard Clothier of Wyke Farms, who comments “A good practical sustainability plan should be holistic and include carbon, water and waste. It’s a mistake to focus on one small area such as packaging, which is very fashionable in multiple retail, but to do this and increase product waste and increase footprints or water use for example is not a holistic approach.” Wise words indeed, Richard.
- Suzanne Christiansen, editor, Dairy Industries International.
Keep in touch via email: [email protected]
Twitter: @dairyindustries or LinkedIn: Dairy Industries International magazine
