Environmental Auditing Of Vegetable Canning/Canned Food Processing Plants

Case Study: Hassia Industrial City/Homs

Abstract

It is unreasonable to care more for ourselves and our food than for our environment and its sustainability. Just as our health and appearance are important, the health of the environment is essential and indispensable. Therefore, products that pollute the planet must disappear from our homes and shops in pursuit of a sustainable lifestyle. For major companies in the canned food industry, the time has come to transform this sector into an environmentally friendly industry that meets market and consumer demands while preserving nature’s beauty. Increasing consumer awareness, as noted in recent studies, serves as a suitable incentive for these companies to seriously implement strategies to achieve sustainable development goals.

This study addresses an environmental audit of a canning facility in Hassia Industrial City, a vital branch of the rapidly growing food manufacturing sector, driven by brands focusing on meeting customer needs, though often at an environmental cost that may be invisible to most. The study aims to evaluate the facility’s environmental performance by reviewing its industrial processes and aligning them with approved environmental legislation, while improving product safety, quality, and shelf life.

The environmental audit was conducted using a case study approach (physical monitoring of the facility) and an experimental method (analysis of resulting water samples), with results compared to reference studies. The study found that the facility’s operations are based on a sustainable trinity: using green, eco-friendly natural materials, employing high-purity water from reverse osmosis units as a near-universal solvent, and selling damaged plastic and cardboard packaging for recycling, thereby linking economic feasibility with environmental benefits and achieving triple profits—for the facility, the consumer, and the environment.