Reduce, reuse and treat: Clean water tech targets F&B’s wastewater challenges

The food and beverage industry is grappling with waste, be it solid or liquid. Notably, food systems remain one of the key drivers of climate change and environmental degradation, according to the European Commission. FoodIngredientsFirst delves into wastewater management in the week that Japan released Fukushima waters into the ocean prompting fears of contaminated seafood. We look at some of the F&B sectors that can benefit from boosting wastewater management, the challenges they face and the technology that helps tackle it.

The industry at large and specifically the dairy sector, is very aware of the wastewater issue. Major food producers have sustainability goals and are under pressure from their customers to protect the environment with targets aimed at reducing energy, carbon emissions and safely disposing of water while crucially adopting methods to save it or repurpose it.

Water bodies bear the brunt

When wastewater from industries is dumped into oceans, it impacts fishermen, who depend on the sea for livelihood.

When wastewater from industries is dumped into oceans, it impacts fishermen and coastal communities that depend on the sea for livelihood.

The recent outrage by China to Japan releasing more than a million tons of treated wastewater from its Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean is a fitting example of this. The fishing industry is reportedly concerned the water’s release will harm their livelihoods.

China, Japan's biggest importer of Japanese seafood, has long been opposed to Japan’s move to release the water and has now banned seafood imports from the country in the wake of the release.

The need for safe discharge

Other sections of the food industry also create wastewater that demands safe discharge for the betterment of sealife. For instance, the dairy industry uses a significant amount of water to maintain hygiene standards, making dairy wastewater a concern.

Jon Goodman, vice president, commercial development at ZwitterCo, a firm that utilizes tech to treat tough water waste, weighs in on this: “In 2022, approximately 500 million metric tons of cow milk were produced globally and in Europe alone, it’s estimated that 2.5 liters of wastewater are produced for every liter of milk. This results in over 1 billion liters of wastewater per year.”

Lack of treatment poses a challenge for dairy wastewater streams as “this wastewater can’t be recycled.”

Eighty percent of the global wastewater produced is released into the environment without adequate treatment, says a recent United Nations World Water Development Report.

Fish habitats are also at risk from algal blooms caused due to the abuse of phosphate fertilizers, the excess of which can go through sewage to enter water masses.

Discharge regulations and poultry

"Much of the poultry industry — at least in the US — is already dealing with the water crisis."

The European Commission’s Urban Water Water Treatment Directive requires the pre-authorization of all urban wastewater discharges, discharges from the food-processing industry and industrial discharges into urban wastewater collection systems, along with monitoring of the performance of treatment plants and receiving waters.

“Discharge regulations are becoming tighter, leading many producers to look for new solutions,” notes Goodman.

Wastewater reuse isn’t mandated currently, but “as the water scarcity crisis accelerates, effective water management will soon shift from a bonus ESG goal to a license-to-operate.”

He highlights the position of the poultry industry amid the water crisis.

“The poultry industry is in a unique position. Much of the poultry industry — at least in the US — is already dealing with the water crisis,” he underscores.

Plants might run out of water when operating in a "water-scarce region," causing hindrances in the production continuity.

“When we look at the problem holistically, conversations around new legislation are moving the needle in the wastewater space. People are talking about the importance of water infrastructure because droughts and climate change are creating more concern and bringing visibility," he comments.

Tackling water scarcity through reuse

Rivers, lakes and aquifers are drying up or becoming too polluted to use, says the WWF.

The WWF says that many of the water systems that keep ecosystems thriving and feed a growing human population have become stressed. Rivers, lakes and aquifers are drying up or becoming too polluted to use.

Goodman flags the food and beverage industry’s need to direct more attention toward the water crisis.

“We’re facing a dire global water scarcity issue. It’s estimated that by 2025, two-thirds of the world’s population may face water shortages. It’s critical that we address the escalating water crisis by enabling industries to generate reuse-quality water while reducing freshwater consumption,” he notes.

For the dairy industry, this will not only help to “secure the future of operations” but also reduce the volume of waste disposed offsite.

“Food and beverage companies are focused on reducing their water consumption through greater efficiency and by water reuse.”

Last week, FoodIngredientsFirst reported DuPont’s membrane treatment that enabled Arla Foods to achieve “100% wastewater reuse” at its factory and helped the dairy producer achieve “circularity” on its whey concentration line in Denmark.

Natural colors formulator Oterra has also committed to reduce water use and take site specific measures to conserve water, as reported by FoodIngredientsFirst earlier this week.

Evolving wastewater technologies

The company notes that innovation in the wastewater treatment domain is directed toward advanced treatment technologies to achieve higher quality water to enable reuse.

“Historically, the most common wastewater treatment technology in this space has been dissolved air flotation (DAF). DAF is a chemical-intensive process resulting in waste solids that must be disposed of and an effluent that does not meet reuse quality standards,” says Goodman.

Current technologies such as membrane bioreactors (MBRs) and anaerobic digestion, often used in combination, are used to treat wastewater, he tells us.

ZwitterCo's “unique" superfiltration membrane is immune to irreversible fouling from the fats, oils, grease and proteins commonly found in food wastewater. (Image credit: ZwitterCo).

However, deploying these technologies grapples with the challenges of “up-front capital cost and large footprint.”

TetraPak recently introduced water recirculation technology to tackle the intensive water use in the cheesemaking sector.

To combat food wastewater odour, ZwitterCo has developed a “unique superfiltration membrane” that is immune to irreversible fouling from the fats, oils, grease and proteins commonly found in food wastewater.

These membranes are the “first spiral membranes to fully recover dairy wastewater without irreversible fouling,” further claiming cost reduction “by more than 50%.”

“We have a commercial system installed that has proven to fully recover performance after more than six months in the field,” he says.

Before and after wastewater being treated with ZwitterCo's superfiltration membranes. (Image credit: ZwitterCo).

The technique can be used in front of reverse osmosis - a lower cost, easier to maintain solution requiring less space,” details Goodman.

Companies are also focusing on waste water from other products to create innovative products. One example is with Hyfé Foods which is valorizing wasted sugar water from F&B manufacturers into feedstock to produce mycelium flour.

Future focus

ZwitterCo shares its opinion on the future of clean water technologies.

“I see the future of clean water in three categories - water reuse, reduction of waste and how water treatment is delivered,” says Goodman.

On a macro level, the intensification of water scarcity leads to “the drive to reduce water demand and increase water reuse.”

“Food and beverage companies are experts at their own processes. Water companies bring their expertise and can deliver a solution to fit their needs. It’s a win-win situation in the end,” Goodman concludes.