Articles by Clay Detlefsen

Clay Detlefsen

Edible dairy packaging and other green ideas

Packaging is not a big contributor to a dairy’s carbon footprint, but to consumers, it can be a symbol of a company’s eco-friendliness.
clay detlefsen
Clay Detlefsen
August 13, 2014

Besides producing recyclable cartons and wraps, dairy processors use compostable materials. Even edible packaging is possible.


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Clay Detlefsen

EPA’s next big measurement program

clay detlefsen
Clay Detlefsen
April 12, 2014

 EPA’s next big measurement program uses energy performance indicators in a program created by Duke University. Soon you will be able to compare your plant to the overall dairy industry’s performance. EPA will recognize the top 25% of participating dairy plants with its Energy Star Certification. 


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Clay Detlefsen

Turning waste into energy

Dairy producers and processors have found value in what they used to throw away.
clay detlefsen
Clay Detlefsen
August 23, 2013
Dairy producers and processors have found value in what they used to throw away. Methane digesters and other technologies create energy to power homes, offices and industrial plants.
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Clay Detlefsen

Sustainability: Water prices keep rising

Dairy processors are using water more efficiently. That’s a good thing because the costs of this resource (incoming and discharging) will only continue to increase.
clay detlefsen
Clay Detlefsen
April 22, 2013
Water is essential to life. Approximately 70% of the human body is made up of water and about 75% of our planet is covered in water. With that much water in and around us it would seem that water would be cheap and abundant. But that isn’t always the case.
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Detkefsen

Defending dairy plants

Food defense is way beyond food safety. Search the FDA’s mitigation strategies database for ideas how to improve security around a blend tank, pasteurizer or other equipment.
clay detlefsen
Clay Detlefsen
April 17, 2013
For the last 10 years, I have been working closely with federal and state government officials on the prevention of intentional contamination of food, or what is known in our government as food defense.
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Clay Detlefsen

Can we get what we need from sustainable packaging?

Mick Jagger told us in song that we can’t always get what we want. But milk jugs and milk crates give us what want and need from a sustainability point of view.
clay detlefsen
Clay Detlefsen
January 17, 2013
Consumers want sustainable food packaging. Food manufacturers want to use sustainable packaging. Many packaging suppliers are striving to meet marketplace demands. But we live in an imperfect world and we can’t always get what we want. That said improvements are being made and have been made over the years.
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Clay Defletson

Use metrics to measure sustainability efforts

Measuring sustainability practices involves many variables. There is no one-size-fits-all approach that works for all operations. Metrics take differences into consideration.
clay detlefsen
Clay Detlefsen
December 18, 2012
Consumers continue to demand tasty and nutritious products that are produced in an environmentally responsible way. As a result, retailers and foodservice companies have heightened interest in the sustainability of their suppliers, and environmental organizations have ratcheted up their sustainability assessments of industries and businesses.
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