Analytical framework for planning water reuse in the food industry with application to a cheese production case study

Global water scarcity is becoming an increasingly pressing environmental concern. With FAO reports showing that 70% of water consumption is related to agriculture, and an additional 20% to industrial use, it is clear that the food industry needs to manage its water usage efficiently. Increased reuse and recycling of effluent water in food processing is an important part of this. However, several challenges related to product quality, logistics, legislation, and implementation prevent many companies from doing so. We present an analytical framework to minimize freshwater usage and maximize water reuse within the context of production planning. We identify several theoretical principles behind efficient water usage and combine these with insights from previous literature. The resulting framework is specifically aimed as the basis for easy-to-use analytical tools. Applying our framework to a cheese production case study with water recovered from whey, we demonstrate freshwater savings of over 67%. We also derive various insights to guide managers on setting the right targets for their water reuse planning. In general, the framework supports the identification of potential water savings achieved by short-term changes to production plans as well as long-term changes to water reuse infrastructure.