Ovens Now Serve a Dual Purpose

Sustainability effort: Reclaiming heat from baking ovens to heat water used in mixing cookie and cracker dough.

Location: Richmond, Virginia, United States

Making a Difference for the Environment

The United States Department of Energy’s “Save Energy Now” program helps companies find ways to save energy and improve the environment. When we took a look at our baking facility in Richmond, we found that we could reclaim the heat from oven exhaust pipes to heat the water used in mixing dough for our Oreo, Chips Ahoy!, Ritz and Premium Saltines crackers and cookies. Prior to that, we had been using natural gas to heat the water.

Real-Life Results

While the program is still in its pilot stage, we are already saving 16 billion BTUs annually. That’s about enough energy to heat more than 130 homes in the United States for one year.  We’re also reducing carbon emissions that contribute to global warming.

“We’re finding creative ways to save energy and reduce our carbon emissions by adapting them to our existing manufacturing processes, all while delivering the same great products our consumers love.”
-- Dick Frohmader, Program Manager for Global Energy, Kraft Foods