Sustainability
Union Beverage Packers
- Beverage manufacturer (copacker) of water and noncarbonated drinks
- 45 Acre site, 485K ft2 space, Hillside, NJ
- Operating schedule: 24 hours/day, 7 days/week
Pollution Prevention Study
- Partnered with the DEP, Bureau of Sustainability for a comprehensive P2 Study, which began in 2024 with an end date of 8/2025
- Voluntary program funded by the EPA
- Evaluation of all operations for P2 with a focus on reducing hazardous chemicals
- Fosters collaboration between businesses and regulatory agencies
- LED replacement bulbs were installed in four locations in the last year via funding from PSE&G
- GHG reductions = 224 MtCO2e
- Electricity conserved = 343,909 kWh
- Sanitary flow was reduced by 225,759 gallons in 2024 from 2023 due to the installation of low-flow toilets, auto-sensing bathroom fixtures, and on-demand water heaters
- Partnered with the DEP, Bureau of Sustainability for a comprehensive P2 Study, which began in 2024 with an end date of 8/2025
- Marissa Frattin, DEP Environmental P2 Consultant is the lead
- Voluntary program funded by the EPA
- No cost for UBP
- Evaluation of all operations for P2 with a focus on reducing hazardous chemicals
- Fosters collaboration between businesses and regulatory agencies
- A comprehensive report will be completed detailing the P2 savings achieved during the Study
Benefits of the P2 Study
- Beverage manufacturer (copacker) of water and noncarbonated drinks
- 45 Acre site, 485K ft2 space, Hillside, NJ
- Operating schedule: 24 hours/day, 7 days/week
Union Beverage Packers
- The P2 Program has played a pivotal role in advancing our sustainability efforts, guiding our journey towards environmental responsibility.
- DEP's assistance with environmental permits, programs, and plans has been invaluable, enhancing effectiveness and ensuring compliance.
- Coordinate meetings
- Track permitting requests
- Completing forms
- Understanding regulatory requirements, including costs, reporting, and scientific data
- The program fosters collaboration, promoting shared goals and constructive dialogue. Bi-weekly meetings are ongoing.
- DEP has gained valuable insights into the balance that manufacturing companies must maintain between operational efficiency and environmental compliance.
Benefits of the P2 Study (continued)
- Collaborative development of a Metrics Tracker to accurately track utility data, including gas, electric, water, wastewater, and waste/recycling.
- The Metrics Tracker tracks key metrics related to environmental impacts to provide a comprehensive overview of UBP’s sustainability efforts.
- Using the Metrics Tracker allowed for identifying areas to improve efficiency.
- Assistance with interpreting the data as a function of production volume provides accurate measurements of sustainability efforts over time.
Additional P2 Projects completed in 2024
- LED replacement bulbs were installed in four locations in the last year via funding from PSE&G
- GHG reductions = 224 MtCO2e
- Electricity conserved = 343,909 kWh
- Sanitary flow was reduced by 225,759 gallons in 2024 from 2023 due to the installation of low-flow toilets, auto-sensing bathroom fixtures, and on-demand water heaters
Additional P2 Projects completed in 2024 -Continued
- Two bottle fillers rebuilt (valves, filling tubes, seals, gaskets, springs)
- Estimated liquid savings = 3 million gallons/year
- Two liquid sugar pumps were replaced along with couplings
- Estimated liquid sugar savings = 17,000 gallons/year
- All pumps and pipes for processing and transferring product were replaced in locations where leaks were observed
- Estimated liquid savings = 2.9 million gallons/year
- Heat exchangers to heat water for production were rebuilt to include new plates, gaskets, and seals on inlet and outlet pipes
- Estimated savings of reverse osmosis water = just under 1 million gals/year
- Waters sprayers to cool bottles on Lines 1 and 2 are now fitted with the auto shut-offs to stop water spray when bottles are not present on the Lines (water savings not calculated)
Benefits of P2 Study - Chemical Use Evaluation
- More than 10K pounds of nitric acid used in 2023 triggered DEP reporting requirements for the Release and Pollution Prevention Report (RPPR) and Pollution Prevention Plan (PPP).
- This prompted UBP to develop a new Chemical Inventory tracking spreadsheet. The result was accurate tracking of chemical use in 2024. Discussions allowed for a better understanding of Hazardous Chemical use and regulatory applicability.
- Four hazardous chemicals are used to clean equipment after daily batch production.
- Research was provided to identify safer chemicals for cleaning.
- In 2024, all hazardous chemicals were reduced through good operating practices. Reporting is no longer required for the RPPR and the PPP.
UBP: Steps for Hazardous Chemical Use Reduction
- New inventory sheet for tracking use in 2024. This put an end to the excess inventory of chemicals. Better recordkeeping to record actual use!
- Staff training
- Switching to non-hazardous chemicals for cleaning
- Installing auto dispensers for chemicals for cleaning out-of-place operations
Benefits of the P2 Study
- Proposed P2 strategies, provided technical support, assisted with research and implementation, including return on investment, health and safety, QA/QC, etc.
- Example: Exploring options for integrating renewable energy sources, such as solar, to reduce reliance on power from the grid.
- Provided a new perspective when evaluating operations.
- Researched funding sources: Federal and State grants, tax incentives.
- Researched ways to improve worker health and safety.
- Quantified data to express environmental benefits from P2 projects.
Path For The Future
- Data analysis: regularly analyze the data collected by the Metrics Tracker to identify trends and areas for improvement.
- Implement a continuous improvement program to review and enhance sustainability practices and operational efficiency.
- Engage with stakeholders, including employees, customers, and regulatory agencies, to gather feedback and collaborate on sustainability initiatives.
Benefits of working with the DEP
- The DEP has played a pivotal role in our sustainability journey, significantly contributing to our efforts to reduce environmental impacts and operate sustainably. Their support has been invaluable.
- The DEP offers valuable support through regulatory programs, information to support new technologies, and various tools and funding sources. It provides a financial safety net to help businesses succeed while advancing sustainability initiatives.