Sonoco is upgrading its wastewater treatment system at a large metal packaging plant in Milwaukee, which will include biogas capture and combustion. The company expects the system to be operational at the end of Q3.

According to John Pontrello, vice president of operations for consumer packaging in North America, “Sonoco is upgrading the wastewater treatment system at its drawn and ironed metal can plant. The cans produced there have to go through a wash line to remove lubrication oil and any other residues left during can formation, and that creates a lot of wastewater.

“The system processes that water before it goes back into the municipal water system, and the removed materials are disposed.”

The new system comes with new capabilities: capturing and combusting biogas generated through the wastewater treatment process. Sonoco expects this will reduce environmental impact while simultaneously improving process efficiency.

“We’re not actually required to do that. It’s an upgrade we put into the system,” Pontrello added. “We want to have zero waste on our lines, or at least as close as we can get to that, over and above the state regulation.”

The company has installed this type of wastewater treatment system elsewhere, namely its Chestnut Hill plant in Dandridge, Tennessee. But the Milwaukee location is particularly notable due to its scale, Pontrello said.

“Milwaukee is one of the largest, by output, metal can plants in the entire world. So when you’re talking about sustainability impact, this is one that can really turn the needle for our entire network of manufacturing plants,” he said.