Lesson 2 - Environmental Sustainability

Many different waste streams are generated in breweries. As previously discussed, through the circular economy concept, if we view waste streams as valuable resources, we can find ways to increase their value so they can become feedstocks for other processes or find ways to eliminate them all together.

In most countries, there will be a legal regime that regulates how waste must be monitored and controlled as well as how it can be disposed of. Many countries will also have targets on reducing total waste generation or increasing recycling rates.

Historically a lot of brewery, and other waste, would have been disposed of in landfill. This is increasingly banned or discouraged for several key reasons:

• Climate change impact of landfill gas (methane) from biodegradable waste

• Constraints on areas suitable for landfill sites

• Loss of valuable resources

The waste hierarchy is a feature in many waste management legislative frameworks and can be a helpful way to think about how to reduce the impact of waste disposal. Many companies will set goals to achieve zero landfill operations as a commitment to reducing environmental impact.

Figure: The waste hierarchy

The types of solid waste generated in breweries, source and common disposal options (from best to worst) are summarised in the table below.

Table: Sources of typical brewery wastes alongside type of materials and disposal options