Ecovation, Inc., a leading provider of customized wastewater treatment solutions, announced it has finalized an agreement to take over waste stream treatment operations at CoolBrands’ North Lawrence, N.Y., facility. Ecovation will incorporate its patented Mobilized Film Technology (MFT) to pretreat waste streams and produce renewable fuel for use in the plant.
“We strive to be a leader in our industry and being a responsible corporate citizen is an integral part our company culture,” said David Stein, CoolBrands’ president and CEO. “We are extremely pleased to have found Ecovation’s waste treatment system with the primary benefits of protecting the environment and producing renewable energy.”
CoolBrands, a major supplier of premium yogurt and ice cream, currently disposes of its evaporated whey byproduct through a costly means that presents liability risks and eliminates the opportunity to convert these wastes into energy. Ecovation’s anaerobic MFT will convert the high strength waste into renewable fuel and water, while mitigating the risks associated with current disposal methods.
“By working closely with CoolBrands through the development stages of this project, we’ve learned what their goals are for the North Lawrence facility,” said Dan Hagen, senior vice president, client development. “Our technology provides them with essential waste treatment capacity to support their long-term growth, while reducing costs and environmental exposure.”
Using the energy generated by the anaerobic process has both environmental and financial rewards. The plant currently burns fuel oil to produce steam for use in the production process. To offset burning fossil fuel, with its increasing costs and potentially harmful air emissions, CoolBrands will utilize the renewable fuel produced by treatment of its waste byproducts. And because the MFT eliminates production bottlenecks often encountered with CoolBrands’ current waste disposal system, the plant will increase yogurt production by 35 million pounds per year.
“We’ve been working closely with CoolBrands to develop a system that will deliver both environmental and economic benefits they were looking for,” added Ecovation’s chairman and CEO, Diane C. Creel. “As the production from the facility grows and/or product lines change, our system can be adapted to accommodate their waste management and energy production needs. We view this project with CoolBrands as the start of a successful, long-term partnership.”
Source: Ecovation, Inc.
