Sustainable production of nutritional supplements: How to do it?
Sustainability has become a more prominent driving force for consumers in all industries, and we’re seeing an increase in environmental production methods. A 2019 study from NYU’s Stern Center for Sustainable Business has indicated significant growth across most consumer packaged goods categories in brands that demonstrated their ongoing commitment to sustainability.
The implication here is clear. To continue to thrive into the future, manufacturers across every industry, including the nutritional supplements industry, must take steps to ensure sustainability throughout the entire supply chain.
The current sustainability trends include a reduction of energy consumption, a transition to renewable energy, plant-based diets, net-zero initiatives, and water conservation. Here are some of the remarkable innovations and new uses for existing technologies that are letting nutritional supplements manufacturers build a better future.
Developing Environmental Production Methods
Any genuinely sustainable production method must deliver viable products while conserving natural resources, avoiding pollution, and maintaining social responsibility. Research and development into new production methods focus largely on the reduction of waste, increased internal and external recycling, and extracting more value from existing product streams.
An agile manufacturing process is able to not only optimize production for minimal waste but also proactively develop new methods and process improvements. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, making a process more environmentally friendly is more effectively approached by redefining the production and exploring new technologies and applications in many cases.
Innovative and Sustainable Use of Alternative Energy
Among the top innovation areas for manufacturing processes is the use of alternative energy sources. Power sources derived from fossil fuels output extensive CO2 to the atmosphere, contributing to global climate change. Avoiding these power sources makes the process more ecologically sound. Alternatives like wind, hydro, and nuclear contribute to change on the grid level, but manufacturers can find room for improvement on the process level.
Many modern processes make use of solar power whenever possible. In some cases, this can mean photoelectric panels for the generation of electricity. In other processes, focused sunlight can provide significant heating. Finding innovative applications for available resources is an effective method for implementing more environmentally-friendly production methods.
Saving Water With Closed Systems
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in a 2017 report, 70 percent of global freshwater use goes to agriculture. Reducing water use across all industries is one of the most pressing concerns for environmental production. In many industries, this is achieved through the implementation of closed systems.
A closed system is a system in which all, or nearly all, process water is recycled. Much like water moving through a radiator, these systems cycle water and rely on minimal makeup to sustain the process. We see this more and more in many different types of agriculture production. New technologies in nutrient recovery, nitrogen mitigation, and filtration keep water waste streams and makeup to an absolute minimum.
For a better future: Solabia-Algatech Nutrition’s Environmental Production
Solabia-Algatech Nutrition produces unique active ingredients through our environmentally sound manufacturing method. We utilize otherwise non-fertile land in the harsh conditions of Israel’s Arava desert for our state-of-the-art microalgae production. The implementation of a closed system with extensive controls lets us maintain the highest level of environmental responsibility, all while drawing our primary energy source from the hot desert sun.
At Solabia-Algatech Nutrition, our microalgae-based production incorporates a closed system that recycles 80 percent of process water and harnesses solar energy through photosynthesis The only water we use for our microalgae cultivation is brackish water sourced locally which is then desalinated and purified. Our environmental production methods produce nutritional elements that meet consumer expectations for environmental sustainability and social responsibility.
As current trends continue, the demand for products with sustainable sources will increase. Solabia-Algatech Nutrition microalgae solutions will play a vital role in the production of these dietary supplements, food sources, and cosmeceuticals.
These products will enjoy the benefits of organic, all-natural, and sustainable ingredients on their labels. Production across many industries can implement the products derived from our sustainably-grown microalgae strains. As we continue to innovate in environmental production, further developments will allow for even greater capitalization on this growing trend.
