HEINEKEN in the UK recognises both the business and environmental value of ensuring our operations are as efficient as possible. We will always be compliant with environmental legislation and regulations, but also go much further to ensure that our production processes are designed to make efficient use of available resources and minimise environmental impact.
Year on year we set stretching targets as saving energy and water increases our profitability and reduces our costs and environmental impact.
Our Green Production programme aims to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions and water consumption in breweries.
Our Green Office programme aims to improve energy efficiency and create climate neutral offices.
Our key focus areas are:
Energy
Our energy use is lower than the global HEINEKEN average.
We need energy to brew and package our brands and to heat, cool and light our offices. Saving energy reduces our costs and increases our profitability.
Water
Our Manchester brewery is one of the most water efficient HEINEKEN breweries globally.
We need water to brew beer, make cider and package our products, therefore both water availability and quality are priorities.
We release water once it has been used in the brewing process with our sites producing large volumes of effluent. This requires treatment to minimise any possible environmental impact. Our Tadcaster and Manchester breweries have on-site effluent treatment plants, helping us increase business efficiency and reduce costs. Managing, treating and reducing water consumption is a high priority.
Waste
We recycle more than 95% of our waste.
The predominant waste produced by our manufacturing sites is organic material removed from beer during maturation and recovered as a fertiliser. The remaining waste, mostly packaging, is largely recycled.
Our sites use significant quantities of glass, steel, aluminium, cardboard and plastic packaging. Lightweighting is a continual process but is only possible after it has been proven that the new package will maintain safety and hygiene during filling, distribution and use.
Over the years Heineken UK has significantly reduced the amount of packaging it uses through the introduction of lighter versions.
Using By-Products
HEINEKEN in the UK explores a number of innovative opportunities to use brewing and milling by-products, such as:
- Using apple pomace and a patented process to produce an effective, environmentally friendly slug bait.
- Using carbon dioxide produced during the fermentation process to enhance growth of Spirulina, a blue-green algae which can be processed into a 'superfood'
- Extracting phytochemicals and antioxidants from apple waste and spent yeast for pharmaceutical and cosmetics use.