By Cimara Pearce
FERGUSON Plarre’s Keilor Park bakehouse is going green.
Small Business Minister Joe Helper met Mr Plarre at the Harrick Rd bakehouse last week to see the facility which Mr Plarre hopes will become Australia’s first bakehouse void of a carbon footprint.
Mr Helper said he wanted to see the environmentally friendly bakery for himself.
“I wanted to see how this business can combine serious minimisation of environmental footpaths with business success,” Mr Helper said.
“Some people think the two are mutually exclusive, but they’re not.”
Mr Plarre said the company, which has 39 stores across Victoria including three in Brimbank, was coping well, despite tough economic times.
He described the baking sector as a “strong industry” and said the company would continue to expand.
Mr Plarre revealed plans to further the bakehouse’s sustainability.
“We’re looking at doubling our rain catchment, filtering and sterilising the water and using it in our food processing,” Mr Plarre said.
“We’re seeking assistance for this, though, as it is very expensive, but it’s just the logical next step for us, as we’re trying to become a benchmark environmentally.”
Current environmental features of the bakehouse include solar heated hot water, use of the heat recovered from freshly-baked products to heat the main production area in winter, and a rainwater system capable of carrying more than 100,000 litres of rainwater for staff toilet and office facilities and the washing of trucks.
Co-director Ralph Plarre told Star last week the company was managing well despite the current economic climate and hinted at expanding the business further in the future.
