Nestlé team takes a moment to celebrate the hard work that has gone in to tackling environmental challenges towards a better future.
Nestlé Trinidad and Tobago Limited has won the prestigious Green Manufacturer of the Year Award at the annual Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturing Association (TTMA) Excellence in Manufacturing Awards Ceremony. Held at the Hyatt Regency Ballroom on Tuesday 9th October, the ceremony recognizes the highest standards in manufacturing excellence, and rewards those who have made significant contributions to the development of T&T.
The Green Manufacturer of the Year Award is given to a company that demonstrates leadership in employing green technologies in manufacturing and works to positively contribute to the sustainability of the establishment and by extension Trinidad and Tobago.
Nestlé Trinidad and Tobago Limited was recognised for its leadership and success in five key areas: minimising waste; managing energy usage; minimising greenhouse gas emissions; achieving water efficiency and sustainability; and treating water discharge effectively.
Nestlé’s Effluent Waste Water Treatment Plant, located at its factory in Valsayn, was the first of its kind in Trinidad and Tobago. In addition to ensuring that waste water generated by its factory meets all environmental parameters and strict quality targets before being discharged into the environment, Nestlé is focused on reducing waste-to-landfill. The company compacts and recycles Tetra Pak and cardboard waste using specialised equipment at the factory site, for downstream applications applications from household items to roofing materials. As of 2017, 90% of the packaging used on the Nestlé compound was collected, baled and send for recycling.
Among Nestlé’s other 2017 environmental achievements were:
- The conversion of the plant’s freezers, chests and new refrigerated trucks to natural refrigerants;
- The introduction of a sludge press belt filter for waste reduction
- A special Homogenizer Soft Water Recovery initiative
- The commissioning of a new Aseptic Tank Water Recovery system
- Improvements to boiler efficiency
- Optimization of plant compressors for energy use reduction
Nestlé Head of Market for the Anglo-Dutch Caribbean Region Patricio Torres says this is only the beginning: “Nestlé is striving for zero waste to landfill by 2021, and zero environmental impact in our operations by 2030, and we firmly believe that we can achieve this. We also know that we can use our influence in T&T to affect positive change, and will continue to support employee, consumer and industry efforts to create environmentally sustainable businesses.”