Project Description

At a Glance

2008-CP-10-S2

This CGPP project targeted water,

energy and packaging savings at the
Dawn Meats plant in Ballyhaunis, Co
Mayo. Between 2008 and 2010, a
cross-functional team worked on a
range of initiatives to achieve the
overall CGPP project aims.

Targeting water, energy and packaging

- three environmental improvement
projects at Dawn Meats

At the end of the project, there was a

significant reduction in water
consumption across the plant, a
reduction in the energy consumed to
heat water, a reduction in oil
consumption from water reuse, water
conservation & refrigeration heat
recovery, and a reduction in
cardboard used in product packaging.

Over 10,000 m per annum

reduction in water consumption
across the site, equating to a 34%
savings in water usage.
25,000 reduction in oil
consumption from water reuse,
water conservation &
refrigeration heat recovery
A reduction of 166 tonnes of
cardboard following the
application of eco-design
principles to product packaging
and implementation of reusable
returnable packaging to deliver
product to customers. This
equates to almost a 10%
reduction in cardboard packaging.
Logistics reduction of up to 85
trucks due to packaging redesign.
Staff were trained in eco-design
techniques for packaging and
water minimisation.
Transfer to other sites - packaging
minimisation and energy saving
initiatives have been rolled out to
other company sites.

Clare Road, Ballyhaunis,

Co. Mayo, Ireland
Website www.dawnmeats.com
Dawn Meats was established in 1980,
with its headquarters located in
Waterford, Ireland. It is one of Europe's
largest food processing companies and
meat suppliers and forms part of the
Queally Group, Irelands largest
privately owned agri-business. It is one
of the largest suppliers of Irish beef and
British beef, Irish pork and British pork,
Irish lamb and British lamb. The group
processes in excess of 500,000 cattle &
750,000 lamb per year, from which it
produces 200,000 tonnes of added
value meat products, including 55,000
tonnes of consumer packs which are
delivered daily to Europe's leading retail
outlets.
Aims of this project
The CGPP project objectives at Dawn
Meats were:
to achieve a reduction in water
consumption at the plant;
to reduce energy consumption
through heat recovery;
and to introduce eco-design
principles and application to
packaging design to achieve
reduction in packaging of 10%.

The first element of the CGPP project

focused on water consumption reduction.
Following the prevention opportunity
identification and prioritisation process,
three areas for accruing water savings
were identified:
(a) water savings from the installation of
new steriliser equipment
(b) the introduction of water reuse
technologies
(c) reduction of water consumption in the
Abattoir Cleaning Process (meat
processing equipment and abattoir
environment).
The second element of the project
involved exploring heat recovery systems.
Large volumes of hot water are consumed
during abattoir cleaning (equipment and
environment) the project identified an
opportunity to recover waste heat from
our refrigeration equipment to assist with
heating water. A system was designed and
fitted to recover heat from our
refrigeration plant that was previously
being wastefully radiated to the
atmosphere. This new heat recovery
system results in a reduction in energy
required to heat the water for abattoir
cleaning as virgin water (entering at 120 C)
was used at the start of the CGPP project
and required considerable energy to heat
0
it to the minimum temperature of 85 C.
The third element of the project involved
eco-design of product packaging to
reduce cardboard usage. Dawn included
customers in the scoping stage of this
project element as their input is required
for key packaging decisions such as
product shelf-life, product marketing
information, product delivery logistics, and
the use of returnable packaging.
One area that was identified as having the
potential to deliver environmental impact
improvements was the size of boxes used
for packing products for customers.

Another area identified as being more

environmentally friendly in terms of our
packaging is the use of reusable
packaging whereby trays sent to
customers can be returned and reused
rather than using new trays each time
product is supplied to customers.
Outcomes
The following are the key outcomes and
improvements achieved as a result of the
CGPP project at Dawn Meats (see also
the table below):
Over 10,000 m3 per annum
reduction in water consumption
across the site following the
installation of more efficient
equipment, the introduction of
water reuse processes, and
changes to the Abattoir cleaning
process (meat processing
equipment and abattoir
environment).
A reduction of 70,000 litres of oil
consumption per annum
following the adoption of water
reuse, water conservation &
refrigeration heat recovery
this equates with a saving of 168
tonnes of CO2
A reduction of 166 tonnes of
cardboard following the
application of eco-design
principles to product packaging
and implementation of reusable
returnable packaging to deliver
product to customers
Staff training in water
minimisation techniques and
eco-design principles in relation
to packaging
Roll out of CGPP to other Dawn
Meats plants.
Project/Element

Prevention
Opportunity

Quantity

New steriliser
installation

Water
consumption
reduction
Water
consumption
reduction
Energy

5737 m3 water
per annum

Cardboard

32,000 boxes/
16 tonnes/1%

Cardboard

300,000 boxes/
150 tonnes/ 9%

Water reuse

Oil savings
from water
reuse, water
conservation &
refrigeration
heat recovery
Eco-design
product
packaging
Reusable
returnable
packaging

4320 m3 3water
per annum
70,000 litres of
oil per
annum/25,000
per annum

The following graphics show returnable

packaging units in use the first
demonstrating the packaging full of product
and the second in its collapsed form ready
for return to Dawn Meats for refill.

Dawn engaged in a range of training

initiatives which provided staff with the
knowledge and skills required to achieve this
CGPP project. Moreover, the training has
resulted in cleaner greener and more
environmentally sustainable practices being
embedded in systems and processes at the
Ballyhaunis plant as well as in other Dawn
plants across the country as many of the
skills are transferrable.

The Cleaner Greener Production Programme

(CGPP) of the EPA is funded under the
National Development Plan 2007-2013. The
CGPP was launched in 2001 as a grant scheme
to fund Irish organisations to implement
cleaner greener practices while achieving
significant cost savings.
Cleaner Greener Production is the application
of integrated preventive environmental
strategies to processes, products and services
to increase overall efficiency and reduce risks
to humans and the environment.
Production processes: conserving raw
materials and energy, eliminating toxic raw
materials, and reducing the quantity and
toxicity of all emissions and wastes
Products: reducing negative impacts along
the life cycle of a product, from raw materials
extraction to its ultimate disposal.
Services: incorporating environmental
concerns into designing and delivering
services.
The programme aims are focussed on
avoiding and preventing adverse
environmental impact rather than treating or
cleaning up afterwards. This approach brings
better economic and environmental
efficiency.
The CGPP is funded by the EPA STRIVE and
NWPP programmes

Lessons
The company has successfully utilised cross
functional teams to brainstorm
opportunities that could deliver
environmental and cost savings. The
economic climate changed entirely during
the course of the project making capital
investment projects less attractive.
More Information

For more information on this project

please contact:
Charlie Coakley
Tel: +353 94 9632400
Email: charlie.coakley@dawnmeats.com
Website www.dawnmeats.com

Additional case studies from companies that

participated in CGPP are available on our
website (www.cleanerproduction.ie)
including:
A full technical report for each project
Programme brochures, summarising all
projects funded under CGPP
More information on CGPP is available from
the EPA:
Lisa Sheils
Environmental Protection Agency,
Richview, Clonskeagh,
Dublin 14, Ireland
Tel: +353 (0)1 2680100
http://www.epa.ie/researchandeducation/research