Environmental Aspect Assessment in a Poultry Meat Processing Facility Compliant with ISO 14001 Standards: A Case Study in Colombo District

Abstract

Abstract—This study aimed to identify the key environmental indicators responsible for making poultry meat production one of the most polluting food processing industries in Sri Lanka. For that, the environmental aspects of a largescale meat processing plant were assessed using the guidelines of ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Management System (EMS) and conducting a risk assessment through an impact aspect register in terms of the severity of consequences and the likelihood of occurrence. The poultry meat production site demands a significant amount of energy and water, both valuable natural resources. As part of the production process, it generates livestock waste and wastewater. The impact of these environmental aspects is particularly pronounced in the processing unit, where pollution levels are at their highest significant environmental impact. To mitigate this impact, a vertical integration (Key stages in materials, suppliers, manufacturing, and distribution of supply chain ownership management business strategy) system was implemented to reduce waste generation and enhance resource utilization efficiency. This study aims to introduce new or refine existing indicators to propose solutions for mitigating the environmental impacts associated with poultry meat production plants.