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EREP a win – win for business and the environment
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| Minister Jennings with Coca Cola Amatil’s Tracey Wagner touring the Coca Cola factory |
Two hundred and fifty Victorian organisations have committed to big reductions of energy and water use through the Victorian Government and EPA’s Environment and Resource Efficiency Plans (EREP) program.
At an event in early December, Environment and Climate Change Minister, Gavin Jennings applauded the program, describing it as a win-win for business and the environment.
“EREP participants have committed to actions that will deliver energy savings of over 4500 terajoules per year – enough to power around 90,000 households – and water savings of over 5000 million litres per year – equal to around 90,000 Melburnians’ water use. They have also committed to waste savings of more than 100,000 tonnes each year,” Mr Jennings said.
“They will reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions by almost one million tonnes and improve their bottom line with savings of at least $70 million each year."
Businesses have found that many of the cost effective actions are quite simple and low cost with an average payback period of actions being around 10 months.
EREP participants come from a range of sectors including metals and chemicals manufacturing, food and beverage manufacturing, shopping centres, metropolitan hospitals, universities and sporting facilities. Commercial and industrial sites using more than 100 terajoules of energy and/or 120 megalitres of water are required to participate in the EREP program. Each year, any new sites that use water or energy above these thresholds enter the program.
Mr Jennings said businesses had found they can create a strong competitive advantage by cutting costs and cutting greenhouse emissions through the initiatives identified in their EREP.
“EREP requires implementation so it will ensure the savings are delivered to the Victorian environment and economy," he said.
Coca-Cola Amatil's Moorabbin site is a great example of what can be achieved as part of the EREP program.
Tracey Wagner, Coca-Cola Amatil’s Manager, Operations and Logistics, Victoria said the company had saved $33,000 and around 11 million litres of water through investing $66,000 to reclaim pump seal and rinse water for reuse back in the process.
"With a short payback of two years, that's clearly a good business decision,” Ms Wagner said.
"CCA Operations in Victoria is an outstanding example of our environmental leadership in the food and beverage industry in Australia. CCA has led the way in water savings and is now one of the most water efficient bottlers in the global Coke system.”
More information about the EREP program.