Water treatment with chemicals in the safest possible way at Europastry
Water treatment with chemicals in the safest possible way with the double-walled VARIBOX Full Containment at Europastry. Today’s story is all about our VARIBOX Full Containment 1000-liter Intermediate Bulk Container (IBC) in optima forma for chemical water treatment. In this story our account manager of the Benelux and Scandinavia Arthur Franken visited Europastry in Oldenzaal to speak with Harald Groote Bevenborg (Baker & Facility Coordinator Europastry Central Europe B.V.). Harald is also responsible for the chemicals that are used for water treatment at Europastry.
Europastry market leader in frozen bakery
“Europastry is a leader in the frozen bakery dough sector. For over 30 years, we have been offering the best bakery products, using the tradition of master artisans as our guide and innovation to develop the best products as our strategy. Today, we offer our products and expertise in the bakery world in more than 80 countries worldwide through our 22 plants and 27 sales offices.” Since 2014, Europastry has had two locations in the Netherlands, in Beuningen and Oldenzaal. In those two locations, lots of delicious products such as croissants, donuts, cristallino bread, pizzas, and other specialties are being produced.
Integrated spill containment
It all started with a recommendation for an improvement by local authorities. According to authorities, all Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBCs) should stand on a spill containment to protect the workers and the environment in case of any leakage. Based on this recommendation Europastry went looking for a solution that had to include a spill containment and still must be easily workable and accessible. “In the previous situation, we had to open the lid and bend over the IBC to put a suction tube in. Which was a dangerous and unsafe chemical handling. And often extra action had to be taken to put the suction tube diagonally or tip the IBC over so that could be totally emptied.”
Water treatment with chemicals stored in the VARIBOX
The chemicals supplied by the chemical distributor are being used for water treatment. “At Europastry two different chemicals are being used; PAX (also known as Aluminum chloride), supplied in a red double-walled VARIBOX, and Sodium Hydroxide in a blue double-walled VARIBOX. Those chemicals are used to neutralize the pH value of the wastewater We use approximately one VARIBOX with 1000-liter sodium hydroxide per week and one VARIBOX with 1000-liter PAX every two weeks.”
Safety and sustainability on top
We, Europastry want to stay in control over the processes and have full attention to safety and sustainability. Sustainability is also one of our focus points for the future. We are happy with the VARIBOX, the VARIBOX is a welcome addition to the process. With the use of the VARIBOX, we solved a lot of things. What we see now:
- We are content with the drainage of the chemical from the VARIBOX, just need to clean the outer container with water and done
- It’s 2022, less chemical handling is the way to go
- The VARIBOX is easy to use and can be put next to the one in usage – prepared for when it needs to be replaced
- It’s a fully closed system, which is 100% convenient: put on the floor, connect, and ready
- The VARIBOX is drip and fume free. Just uncouple, don’t look back, completely empty, clean, and return
- Stable stacking is a plus
- Confidence in VARIBOX: clean and empty on the inside
- Previously, 20 liters remained behind in the containers. Now many times less, this saves a lot of chemicals and money
- And of course, no forklift anymore to put an IBC on a spill container: we use a pallet truck, much safer and easy for everyone to use.
VARIBOX FC 1000L, Water treatment with chemicals
The double-walled VARIBOX is available in an EPDM or Viton version depending on the chemicals that will be packed in the container. This will be fully matched to the Safeline system. But of course, the VARIBOX FC is also applicable for other extractor tubes. The full containment IBCs are available in many different colors as blue, dark blue, yellow, orange, green, and natural to match your product coding. Next to that, to be 100% safe the containers are equipped with automatic venting in terms of a pressure relief vent or combi-vent.