Colgate-Palmolive
At a Glance
Industry
Consumer Packaged Goods
Project Type
Industrial Energy Efficiency
Year
2023
Location
Guangzhou, Guangdong
Summary
Yuhan Guo helped the Huangpu Plant of Colgate establish a water balance model and find opportunities for water saving.
Goals
Colgate, in its 2025 Sustainability & Social Impact Strategy, set a goal of achieving Net Zero Water at its manufacturing sites in water-stressed areas by 2025. To find water-saving possibilities and reach the goal of Net Zero Water, the company enlisted Yuhan Guo to establish a water balance model for its Huangpu factory, ensure the accuracy of water use data, and find water-saving opportunities.
Solutions
After a site survey to update the Huangpu plant's water piping network map, the plant's 99 water meter data from 2022 to the present was compiled to establish a six-level water balance model to conduct a subsector analysis and water flow direction analysis. In the water flow direction analysis, it was found that the proportion of net-zero water could be increased by improving the wastewater recycling rate. Adding a pre-treatment step before SBR treatment at the wastewater station will increase the renewability of the wastewater, improve the efficiency of wastewater treatment, speed up the reaction rate, shorten the aeration time, and increase the capacity of wastewater treatment.
Potential Impact
- Establish a water balance model for the Huangpu Plant of Colgate, with deviation analysis at all levels and meter type and water use type labeled in the model to facilitate staff analysis of monthly water use.
- Proposed improvements to enhance wastewater treatment efficiency, which could theoretically reduce aeration treatment time by half, increase wastewater station treatment capacity, and save energy.