J G Pears and the Environment
J G Pears recognises its obligation to comply with the law, carry out its business in as environmentally sound manner as possible and to be a good neighbour by minimising the impact of our operations on local residents.
We are committed to promoting and maintaining an environmental policy to ensure that the impact of our operations on the environment is reduced to as low a level as is practically feasible and sustainable.
J G Pears and the Environment
Permits
The Company is committed to continuous environmental improvement and shall review environmental objectives and targets annually.
Our site is regulated through two Permits issued by the Environment Agency. One Permit covers the animal by-products processing operations with the second controlling the CHP Plant. We also have REACH controls for the CHP plant ash to be used as an agricultural fertiliser.
The permits control emissions to air, water and land. Further information on environmental permits can be found at the .Gov web pages. https://www.gov.uk/topic/environmental-management/environmental-permits
Our Rendering Operation
In the UK, for every kilogram of meat that is consumed, there is a corresponding kilogram of inedible meat by-product that must be disposed of. Over 50 billion kilograms of these inedible by-products are generated by the UK food industry annually, of which the rendering industry processes 30 billion. Modern rendering has solved this problem turning poultry and meat production wastes into a wide variety of everyday products.
The web link below explains how the rendering process works:
Premium Quality
Premium quality rendered and purified oils from the JG Pears Category 3 processing plant at Low Marnham produces high protein meals which are used as a core ingredient by pet food and aqua feed manufacturers worldwide. The extracted fats are used in a variety of applications including soap manufacture, bio diesel production and in pet and animals feeds.
By its very nature the rendering process involves the use of a raw material and the production of an end product that are both odorous in nature. The process needs to cook the animal by-products to meet strict government standards controlled by the UK Animal and Plant Agency. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/animal-by-product-categories-site-approval-hygiene-and-disposal
Odour Abatement
We use appropriate odour abatement methods which are included in our approved Odour Management Plan and meet the requirements of Sector Guidance and Best Available Techniques (BAT).
We strive to prevent or where that is not practicable to minimize emissions of odour from the site. JG Pears utilises thermal destruction of odours using a thermal oxidiser for intensive cooker odours and large biofilters to treat the internal building air.
It should be recognised that even when these methods are employed total and absolute elimination of odours is sometimes not achievable. Low level smells may be detected for short periods of time. We are looking closely at our process and operating techniques to make improvements where practically possible in order to reduce such incidences. We regularly update the Environment Agency of the work which is being conducted by JG Pears together with site visits and audits they undertake at the Low Marnham site.
The Combined Heat and Power Plant
The Combined Heat and Power Plant (CHP) at the Newark site in Low Marnham is fuelled by Category 1 Meat and Bone Meal which eliminates the need to use conventional fossil fuels. The plant is a carbon neutral combined heat and power co-incineration plant. It provides the rendering facility with heat and power as well as exporting surplus energy to the National Grid.
Ash from the furnace is high in phosphorus which is excellent as a natural land fertiliser.
The Environmental Permit issued by the Environment Agency for the JG Pears CHP plant controls emissions from the plant. The plant has a state of the art acid gas abatement system to remove pollutants before the combustion air is discharged to the atmosphere. This involves bag filtration, sodium bicarbonate neutralisation and a sophisticated ceramic catalyst. Pollutant levels are monitored continuously through Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems (CEMS). These instruments monitor and record emissions from our stack. The monitoring and reporting process involves many stages of data transfer from the stack analysers, to the process control systems where levels are displayed together with a vast number of other boiler and station operating conditions in the CHP plant control room.
Community Engagement
It is our intention to improve our communication and community engagement with groups and individuals on issues that involve J G Pears.
This may be a challenging task as the animal by-products industry is noted for its odour impacts and a reputation that is associated with this. Our goal is to be a better neighbour by engaging with our neighbours and working hard to minimise the impact of our operations on the local community. We have committed to a public communications policy which outlines our aims, communication methods and community feedback.
We will attend local parish council meetings and use our web platform to inform residents through our “News” tab for details of our current On Site and Off Site Operations which are taking place and may affect you.
To help us continually improve our communication and engagement with our neighbours, both residents and businesses, we welcome your feedback. For details on how to provide your comments to us, visit our “contact us” section.
What happens to your feedback
Your feedback is important to us, so when you let us know how we are performing, you set in motion a series of processes and communications aimed at supporting our improvement process.
The phone call or email you receive after registering your feedback is only the beginning of the feedback process. We want to acknowledge that your feedback has been received and the investigation process is underway. Many people at JG Pears are involved in impact investigations and response procedures - Process Engineers and Supervisors, Compliance and Technical Managers all play a part. Weather conditions and prevailing winds, process conditions and site operations are all investigated to identify the potential source and cause of the impact being reported. As you can appreciate this can take time to coordinate a final and full response.
Your feedback data may also contribute to longer-term projects aimed at reducing potential impacts on our community and environment. While it isn't always possible to get back to individuals with all the results of our investigations you can be assured that we take your feedback seriously and value the contribution you make to the amenity of the local Nottinghamshire community.
We receive feedback about many different aspects of our operations. All calls are and emails are treated individually. If your call is in relation to an impact, it is important you provide us with the nature and time of impact, so we can investigate the cause.
Public Communication Policy
J G Pears is committed to improving communication and engagement and understands the importance of listening as well as communicating.