FDBusiness.com

Seven US Kellogg bakeries have once again earned the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Energy Star certification – placing them in the top 25 percent of similar facilities nationwide for energy efficiency. Last year, the EPA awarded these same facilities the first-ever Energy Star certification for bakeries that demonstrate best-in-class energy performance.

From its plants in Bremen, Germany, to Linares, Mexico, Kellogg has made significant strides to reduce energy use.

“Our company is committed to producing more using fewer natural resources – and that includes finding new ways to reduce energy use at our facilities,” points out Diane Holdorf, chief sustainability officer, Kellogg Company. To reduce energy use, Kellogg bakeries have engaged employees, updated equipment, streamlined processes and more.

Other Kellogg energy-saving initiatives include:

* Reviewing processes and equipment to ensure optimal energy efficiency at the plant in Bremen, Germany, where energy use has been reduced by 19 percent (per metric tonne of food produced) since 2005.

* Installing 125 state-of-the-art solar collectors at the cereal and snacks plant in Linares, Mexico, which are now used to heat water for boilers.

* Reducing absolute energy consumption by 19 percent in 2011 compared to 2010 at the plant in Battle Creek, Michigan, through energy-efficiency projects such as installation of an efficient, variable-speed chiller.

* Lowering electricity consumption from lighting in the office areas of our plant in Takasaki, Japan, by installing a special, highly reflective material in standard fluorescent tube fixtures that allow half the tubes to be removed.