PLANO, Texas (PRNewswire) — PepsiCo's Frito-Lay NorthAmerica division today celebrated the success of its most ambitious environmental sustainability project to-date by announcing that its Casa Grande, Arizona, facility has reached "near net zero." The "near net zero" vision was to transform an existing facility so that it would be as far "off the grid" as possible and run primarily on renewable energy sources and recycled water, while producing nearly zero landfill waste.
"As a company that relies on key natural resources like water and fuel, Frito-Lay has developed strategies to ensure our business remains sustainable, even if there are constraints on those resources," explains Al Carey, past CEO and president, Frito-Lay NorthAmerica. "Frito-Lay and its parent, PepsiCo, are committed to finding innovative solutions that are right for the business and right for the environment. The 'near net zero' project is an industry-leading example of how the two successfully intersect."
Buildings in the United States are responsible for 39 percent of CO2 emissions, 40 percent of energy consumption and 13 percent of water consumption, making environmental sustainability initiatives for new and existing buildings a significant opportunity. In fact, greater building efficiency can help meet 85 percent of future U.S. demand for energy.
Frito-Lay invested in and implemented a combination of technologies to enable the Casa Grande plant to significantly reduce the use of key natural resources and reduce the site's overall environmental footprint. Using innovative technologies, the Casa Grande facility is generating 2/3 of all energy used from renewable sources and is working toward significant reductions:
- 50 percent reduction of greenhouse gases
- 75 percent of water is recycled
- 80 percent reduction of natural gas usage
"Frito-Lay set out to create an environmental learning lab in our Casa Grande plant that would try to make the plant 'near net zero,'" said Al Halvorsen, senior director of environmental sustainability, Frito-Lay North America. "Our approach to significantly reduce the use of natural resources and the environmental impact of a manufacturing site has been cutting edge and today marks a major milestone for Frito-Lay and PepsiCo."
Water Reduction : The Casa Grande facility installed a water recovery and reuse system that combines Membrane Bio Reactor (MBR) and Low-Pressure Reverse Osmosis (LPRO) technologies to recycle from 50to 75 percent of water. The recycled process water meets Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) primary and secondary drinking water standards.
Electricity Reduction: Five separate and distinct solar photovoltaic(PV) systems, installed throughout the property, produce nearly 10million kilowatt-hours (KWHs) of electrical power. Two solar fields of single axis tracking PV systems with more than 18,000 solar panels were installed on 36 acres of the facility's agriculture property. The three additional PV fields installed by the plant include a dual axis tracking system, a single axis covered parking lot and 10 sterling engine dual axis tracking systems.
Pilgrim's Pride To Appeal $26M Judgment
Family Of Listeria Victim Hopes Outbreak Brings Food Safety Changes