energies Article Use of Environmental Management Systems and Renewable Energy Sources in Selected Food Processing Enterprises in Poland Stanisław Bielski 1 , Anna Zieli ´nska-Chmielewska 2 and Renata Marks-Bielska 3,* 1 Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, M. Oczapowskiego 8, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland; [email protected] 2 Institute of Economics, Pozna´nUniversity of Economics and Business, Al. Niepodległo´sci10, 61-875 Pozna´n,Poland; [email protected] 3 Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, M. Oczapowskiego 4, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland * Correspondence: [email protected] Abstract: The issue of environmental management systems in food processing companies is gaining importance due to the need to reduce water withdrawal, wastewater, air emissions, and waste generation. New technological solutions and innovations can reduce the negative effects of the enterprises’ production facilities on the environment. In Poland, the phenomenon of increasing use of the amount of renewable energy sources is influenced by, e.g., adopted national and EU legislation, development of new technologies in the field of energy, and increasing awareness of producers and consumers in the field of ecology and environmental protection. It is also important that the state creates favorable conditions for the use of renewable energy in micro-installations. Citation: Bielski, S.; The application goal of the study is to develop a procedure for improvement of the environmental Zieli´nska-Chmielewska,A.; management systems for food processing companies and increase the awareness of potential use and Marks-Bielska, R. Use of implementation of renewable energy sources by food processing entities. In the theoretical part of Environmental Management Systems the study, methods of comparative, deductive, and synthetic analysis are used. In the practical part and Renewable Energy Sources in of the study survey method, case studies, a simple flashback, and transfer of ideas are presented. The Selected Food Processing Enterprises results of the research can be used by state institutions to put emphasis on the implementation of in Poland. Energies 2021, 14, 3212. sustainable development of state policy on the food market. https://doi.org/10.3390/en14113212 Keywords: environmental management systems; renewable energy sources; food processing sec- Academic Editor: Attilio Converti tor; Poland Received: 13 April 2021 Accepted: 28 May 2021 Published: 31 May 2021 1. Introduction Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral Sustainable development is often understood as the efficiency of an ecosystem to with regard to jurisdictional claims in self-regenerate the main functions of supporting various forms of life [1]. This leads to published maps and institutional affil- evolutionary changes in the ecosystem [2,3]. Sustainable development is the integration iations. of social and economic activities, while preserving human rights, natural balance, and sustainability of basic natural and environmental processes [4]. Sustainable development is a process that takes into account four fundamental aspects: economic, environmental, social, and land use (Figure1)[5]. The greatest and current challenge, on the economic, political, and environmental Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. levels, is the waste generated in the production processes of modern civilizations [6,7]. In This article is an open access article December 2015, the European Commission published a Communication to the European distributed under the terms and Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee, and the Committee conditions of the Creative Commons of the Regions entitled “Closing the loop—EU action for the circular economy” [8]. The idea Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// of a circular economy involves closing the life cycle of a product to direct the economy to creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ the tracks of sustainable development. The European Commission also adopted measures 4.0/). to improve the action plan towards a sustainable bio-economy, taking into account the Energies 2021, 14, 3212. https://doi.org/10.3390/en14113212 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/energies Energies 2021, 14, x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of 17 Energies 2021, 14, x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of 17 economy to the tracks of sustainable development. The European Commission also Energies 2021, 14, 3212 2 of 16 adopted measures to improve the action plan towards a sustainable bio-economy, taking economy to intothe accounttracks of the sustainable reduction development.of production Thewaste European [9]. The Commission’ salso communication adopted measurescontains to improveproposals the aimed action at plan increasing towards innovation a sustainable in the bio European-economy ,economy, taking creating a into account marketthereduction reduction for secondary of productionof productio raw wastematerials,n waste [9]. The[9].indicating Commission’sThe Commission tools for communication increasing’s communication the quality contains of proposalssecond- contains proposalsaryaimed raw aimed atmaterials, increasing at increasing as innovation well innovationas activit in theies in European in the the European field economy, of plastics,economy, creating bioproducts, creating a market a for demolition secondary market for secondarywaste,raw materials, construction raw materials, indicating waste, indicating and tools food for tools waste increasing for [10]. increasing the quality the quality of secondary of second- raw materials, as ary raw materials,well asas activitieswell as activit in theies field in of the plastics, field of bioproducts, plastics, bioproducts, demolition waste,demolition construction waste, waste, constructionand food waste, waste and [ 10food]. waste [10]. BUSINESS ECONOMICS, SOCIETY, MANAGEMENT BUSINESS ECONOMICS, INSTITUTIONALSOCIETY, -POLICY ASPECTS MANAGEMENTPRODUCTION EFFICIENCY INSTITUTIONAL-POLICY ASPECTS PRODUCTION EFFICIENCY SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY, LAND USE PLANNING WATER, WASTE, ENVIRONMENT,INVESTMENT ENERGY, EFFICIENCY LAND USE PLANNING WATER, WASTE, INVESTMENT EFFICIENCY Figure 1. Multidimensional and interdisciplinary aspects of sustainable development. Source: [5]. Figure 1. Multidimensional and interdisciplinary aspects of sustainable development. Source: [5]. Figure 1. MultidimensionalOver the and last interdisciplinary few years, more aspects and of more sustainable companies development. adopted Source: sustainable [5]. practices in their business in order to improve their environmental and social responsibility, while Over the last fewOver years, the lastmore few and years, more more companies and more adopted companies sustainable adopted practices sustainable in practices in maintainingtheir business and in improving order to improve profitability their environmental ratios and creating and social a greater responsibility, satisfaction while and main- in- their business in order to improve their environmental and social responsibility, while teractiontaining andwith improving different stakeholders profitability ratios [11–14] and. Obtaining creating a quality greater satisfactionand product and safety interaction man- maintaining and improving profitability ratios and creating a greater satisfaction and in- agementwith different certificates stakeholders is a prerequisite [11–14]. for Obtaining the operation quality of and food product enterprises safety and management can be a teraction with different stakeholders [11–14]. Obtaining quality and product safety man- goodcertificates start for is the a prerequisite implementation for the of operation environmental of food m enterprisesanagement and systems can be (EMS) a good (Figure start for agement certificates is a prerequisite for the operation of food enterprises and can be a 2)the [15,16 implementation]. of environmental management systems (EMS) (Figure2)[15,16]. good start for the implementation of environmental management systems (EMS) (Figure 2) [15,16]. Plan Enviromental Plan policies, objectives Enviromentaland targets, Legal policies, objectivesRegister, Significant and targets, LegalAspects and Register,Act Significant Impacts Do Aspects and Management Procedures, Act Impacts Do review, implement document control, Managementcorrective actions Procedures, tracking and review, implementand improvements document control,communication corrective actions tracking and and improvements communication Check Internal Check monitoring and Internal auditing. Report monitoring and the results auditing. Report FigureFigure 2. 2.StagesStages ofthe ofenvironmental environmental results m managementanagement systems. systems. Source: Source: [16]. [16 ]. Figure 2. Stages of environmentalCompanies m thatanagement have implemented systems. Source: an [16]. environmental management system meet le- gal requirements for environmental protection, and simultaneously gain economic and ecological benefits. This is because they minimize adverse environmental impacts by re- ducing pollution [17]. In addition, these organizations strive to improve the environmental Energies 2021, 14, 3212 3 of 16 impact of various activities by improving the functioning of the environmental manage- ment system, which, in turn, contributes to further alleviation of their environmental impact [18,19]. More and more energy is used in production processes [20]. The dynamic development of national economies results in a