In its 2011 sustainable development report, Chicago-based MillerCoors LLC said it is making improvements to its Milwaukee brewery that will make it a more environmentally-friendly operation and will reduce operating costs.
MillerCoors is working on a project to have pasteurized water reused, instead of using fresh water, for brewing operations, which will enable the Milwaukee brewery to dramatically reduce its water usage. The company said that it expects to save 150 to 200 million of gallons of water a year once the project is completed later this year.
The Milwaukee brewery also received sustainability grants, from federal economic stimulus funds that were allocated by the city of Milwaukee, to do energy efficiency manufacturing upgrades and to upgrade the brewery’s loading docks with a new heating system. The improvements are expected to save the company $133,000 per year in energy costs and will reduce CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions, the company said.
MillerCoors also added new machines at the Milwaukee brewery to improve management of waste and allow industrial recyclers to take the waste, resulting in a reduction of 200 tons of waste to landfills each year and a cost savings for the company of more than $100,000 a year, MillerCoors said.
“At MillerCoors, we believe the key to leadership is accountability,” said Cornell Boggs, chief responsibility and ethics officer for the company. “Our goal is to give readers (of the sustainable development report) an in-depth understanding of how sustainability works at MillerCoors and the importance it holds for our business. We’re proud to share our measurement standards, performance and explain how we engage with stakeholders.”
The MillerCoors 2011 sustainable development report can be viewed at www.greatbeergreatresponsibility.com.
