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The Alcholic Beverages Industry:

Improvement of Resource Efficiency and Environmental Performance

The alcoholic beverages industry includes beer, wine and liquor production. There is extensive environmental guidance available for breweries. There are a few documents for wine production, and very little about producing liquor. However, there may be resources for liquor production in the fuel ethanol industry, but that sector is not covered in this report.

Water conservation, recycling of fermentation wastes and energy efficiency are the primary solutions for this sector. Breweries in particular have many options available for turning wastes into new products, such as growing edible mushrooms on fermentation wastes.

The table below lists solutions to reduce waste and pollution in alcoholic beverage production. Company environmental programs should demonstrate that these options have been considered thoroughly. Direct links to online guides to textiles pollution prevention follow the table.

Solutions to Increase Efficiency and Reduce Waste in Beer Production
Brewing and Packaging Send spent grains to farmers for use as animal feed.

Send trub from the brew kettle, which is high in protein but extraordinarily bitter, to farmers for land application as fertilizer.

Send spent grains and hops to farmers for animal feed.

Recover the heat from the hot water using the heat exchanger. Incoming, cold, city water is run through the heat exchanger to gain heat from, and so cool, the hot wort. Rather than waste this heat energy, the hot city water can be reused to save energy used to heat the hot water. This hot water is often discharged into microbreweries, but it should be sent to the hot liquor tank for use in brewing the next batch.

Add dead yeast cells from the Fermentation Tank to the grain going out as animal feed or the trub going out to be used as fertilizer.

Recover reusable yeast from the Fermentation Tank and use for fermentation in the next batch.

Sterilize beer/yeast mixture from the Fermentation Tank (heating it to 140 degrees F for 15 minutes) and then mix it with the grain going out as animal feed or the trub going out to be used as fertilizer.

Mix yeast and solids from the Filtration system should be mixed with the grain going out as animal feed or the trub going out to be used as fertilizer.

Recover spilled beer from the brewpub to be used as fertilizer.

Collect spilled beer from the kegging line and mix with grain going out as animal feed or the trub going out to be used as fertilizer.
Heating Water Prevent heat loss from the water heater or hot liquor tank by fully insulating the water heater. Hot liquor tanks are normally very well insulated.
Keg Cleaning Beer left inside kegs which are returned to the microbrewery in kegs should be collected and mixed with the grain going out as animal feed or the trub going out to be used as fertilizer.

Wash water from cleaning of kegs must be treated prior to discharge but can be minimized to a significant extent by implementing a well designed keg cleaning station.

Cleaning Process Vessels Use continuous brewing to reduce the need for cleaning process vessels

Use "clean-in-place" systems to conserve water during the cleaning process. These systems are expensive for very small brewers but will substantially reduce water used for cleaning.

Put small water meters (under $10.00 each) on hoses so that employees can see how much water they use to clean. This also provides a baseline from which to measure improvements.

Consider developing a cleaning standard. A cleaning standard is any method that can be used to define how clean a surface needs to be. It helps determine when cleaning is needed. Further, it helps eliminate excessive cleaning by defining when a surface is clean enough and washing can stop.

Encourage the microbrewery to visit the process vessel operations at other companies that make products in batches. Paint manufacturing is also a useful visit.

Cleaning Floors Develop a basis for determining when cleaning of floors and equipment is necessary.

Put small water meters (under $10.00 each) on hoses so that employees can see how much water they use to clean. This also provides a baseline from which to measure improvements.

Encourage the microbrewery to visit other food processing operations to see how they clean floors.

Source: Pollution Prevention for Wastewaters from Microbreweries

http://twua.org/p2/Tips/Microbreweries.html

 

 

Links

Technical Guides to Cleaner Production

BEER

Malting and Brewing is a short fact sheet that describes technical steps and technology options.

http://www.unido.org/userfiles/cracknej/beib1.pdf

Pollution Prevention for Wastewaters from Microbreweries is a checklist of ideas.

http://twua.org/p2/Tips/Microbreweries.html

Sectoral Profile of the Brewery Industry is a major website from UNIDO with extensive information about processes, pollution and cleaner production

http://www.unido.org/ssites/env/sectors/sectors101.html

Technical Pollution Prevention Guide for Brewery and Winery Operations in the Lower Fraser Basin is an extensive detailed technical report

http://www.pyr.ec.gc.ca/ec/frap/pdf/9720.pdf

http://www.pyr.ec.gc.ca/ec/frap/pdf/9720.pdf

Beer Production - Audit and Reduction Manual for Industrial Emissions and Wastes is a major report using case studies.

http://www.p2pays.org/ref/01/0095001.pdf

The World Bank Pollution Prevention Abatement Handbook has a chapter on brewing with an overview of processes and environmental issues, general abatement methods, and benchmarks for resource use and emissions.

http://wbln0018.worldbank.org/essd/essd.nsf/GlobalView/PPAH/$File/49_brew.pdf

 

The UK Envirowise Program offers these documents available on line, after registering for free:

      Reducing Water and Effluent Costs in Breweries

      Family Brewery Makes Big Water Savings

      Improved Cask Washing Plant Makes Large Savings

http://www.envirowise.gov.uk/

Beers from sorghum, rice, millet and bananas, bamboo wine and togwa gives recipe and production management tips for these brews.

http://www.unido.org/userfiles/cracknej/betp2.pdf

Brewing Case Studies

Integrated Environmental Management in a German Brewery

http://www.inem.org/htdocs/case_studies/lamms.html

Cogeneration Helps Reduce Malting Costs

http://www.environment.gov.au/epg/environet/eecp/case_studies/adelaid.htm

ACI Glass Packaging Demonstration Project

http://www.environment.gov.au/epg/environet/eecp/case_studies/aci_glass_demo.html

Southcorp Environmental Management System Meets Needs of Diverse Global Population

http://www.environment.gov.au/epg/environet/eecp/case_studies/southcorp.htm

The Monitoring and Pre-treatment of Brewery Trade Waste Prior to Discharge

http://www.environment.gov.au/epg/environet/eecp/case_studies/cub.html

Cleaner Production in a Chinese Brewery

http://www.emcentre.com/unepweb/tec_case/food_15/house/h7.htm

Cleaner Production in a Chinese Brewery

http://www.emcentre.com/unepweb/tec_case/food_15/house/h4.htm

Cleaner Production Audit on Beer Production

http://www.emcentre.com/unepweb/tec_case/food_15/house/h3.htm

Good Housekeeping Methods in a Brewery Reduces Packaging Wastage

http://www.emcentre.com/unepweb/tec_case/food_15/house/h6.htm

Process Modification at a Brewery

http://www.emcentre.com/unepweb/tec_case/food_15/house/h2.htm

Cleaner Production at a Toddy Distillery in Sri Lanka

http://www.emcentre.com/unepweb/tec_case/food_15/house/h13.htm

Using Reusable Containers at a Brewery

http://www.emcentre.com/unepweb/tec_case/food_15/newtech/n2.htm

DB Breweries

http://www.mfe.govt.nz/management/rma/cpcases/case21b.htm

The Anheuser-Busch Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Report

http://www.abehsreport.com/

Brewery success story

http://www.deq.state.va.us/p2/success%20stories/breweries.html

 

WINE

Wineries Case Studies are from an Australian consulting firm

http://www.landenergy.com.au/wineries.html

Cleaner Production in the Wine Industry is a book that can be ordered

http://www.winesa.asn.au/sales_book_pg1a.htm

Wastewater Monitoring Guidelines for Wineries is a regulatory document from Australia

http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/epa/pdfs/tb_no11.pdf

Wine Production is a technical briefing paper with process diagrams and technical specifications for various alternatives.

http://www.unido.org/userfiles/cracknej/beib2.pdf

Sparkling Wine Production is a technical briefing paper with process diagrams and technical specifications for various alternatives.

http://www.unido.org/userfiles/cracknej/betp1.pdf

Re-using Winery Wastewater to Irrigate Redgum Plantations - Berri Estates

http://www.environment.gov.au/epg/environet/eecp/case_studies/berri.html

 

LIQUOR

Recycling Waste Products from Molasses Fermentation

http://www.p2pays.org/ref/04/03358.htm

Pollution Prevention Assessment for a Manufacturer of Bourbon Whiskey

http://es.epa.gov/p2pubs/ppc/226486.html

Emission Factor Documentation for Distilled Spirits

http://www.epa.gov/ttn/chief/ap42/ch09/bgdocs/b9s12-3.pdf

The pollution profile of alcohol distilleries treating beet sugar molasses

http://www.iwaponline.com/wst/03212/wst032120181.htm

CSR Distilleries, North Queensland
http://kaos.erin.gov.au/portfolio/epg/environet/ncpd/auscase_studies/csr_distilleries.html

Saving water, Energy and Raw Materials in Fermentation

http://www.emcentre.com/unepweb/tec_case/food_15/house/h5.htm

Cleaner Production at a Toddy Distillery in Sri Lanka

http://www.emcentre.com/unepweb/tec_case/food_15/house/h13.htm

 

Major Sites Devoted to the Alcoholic Beverages Industry and the Environment

There are many programs devoted to sustainable agriculture that have important information to share, particularly for wineries and for small-scale alcohol production on farms. A search for "agriculture" and "pollution prevention" on most search engines will quickly identify leading programs.

UNEP IE Working Group on Cleaner Production in the Food Industry, "Sub-Group on Breweries" is a professional interest group.

http://home2.swipnet.se/~w-25860/jacky/sgb/index.htm

Forum on Integrated Bio-Systems for Eco-breweries is a discussion forum.

http://segate.sunet.se/archives/et-w5.html

The Zero Emissions Research Institute focuses on Breweries as a model of waste reduction and reuse.

http://www.zeri.org/systems/brew.htm

The Sustainable Agriculture Network is a major program that includes grain and grape production for beverages.

http://www.sare.org/

Distill.Com is a major website devoted to the global alcohol distilling industry

http://www.distill.com

The Small-Scale Ethanol Production bibliography has references to hundreds of articles on producing alcohol on farms and in small firms.

http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/AFSIC_pubs/qb92-46.htm

Beverage Industry Associations

The Beer Institute

http://www.beerinst.org/

The Wine Institute

http://www.wineinstitute.org/

Can Manufacturers Institute

http://www.cancentral.com/

Glass Packaging Institute (GPI)

http://www.gpi.org/

 

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