Kraft Gets Even More Green

In line with a vested interest in sustainability, Kraft Foods announced completion of waste-to-energy projects at two manufacturing facilities in New York. The plants in Lowville and Campbell, N.Y. are using bio-methane from on-site waste treatment systems to replace 30 percent to 35 percent of each plant's annual natural gas purchases in a year.

Whey, one of the most significant waste byproducts from cheese plants, is the source of the alternative energy, which is created when whey is treated in each plant's anaerobic digester system.

The company has set goals to reduce:

• Energy usage by 25 percent
  
  
• Energy-related carbon dioxide emissions by 25 percent
  
  
• Manufacturing plant waste by 15 percent

Kraft's Lowville plant, which makes Philadelphia cream cheese, has approximately 330 employees. Kraft's Campbell plant makes Polly-O Italian- style cheeses and Kraft and Polly-O string cheese and employs more than 400 people.