![[logo] US EPA](http://www.epa.gov/epafiles/images/logo_epaseal.gif){kind=logo}
Anheuser-Busch: Brewing a Better Environment
Cheers to the men and women of Anheuser-Busch who are busy "Brewing a Better Environment." Since joining WasteWise as a charter member in 1994, Anheuser-Busch has achieved a company-wide 97 percent recycling rate and received six WasteWise awards for its waste reduction efforts. In 2005, Anheuser-Busch was inducted into the WasteWise Hall of Fame, the highest honor awarded to WasteWise partners.
Recycling isn't a strange brew at Anheuser-Busch's 70 facilities. In fact, as one of the world's largest recyclers of aluminum cans, the Anheuser-Busch Recycling Corporation recycled a whopping 804 million pounds of cans in 2004- more than 125 percent of the number of cans that the company's breweries use to package their products. Besides cans, Anheuser-Busch ensures that the shrink wrap used for transporting their beer is recycled, too. This year the company will transition to smaller lids for its beer cans, which is expected to save 20 million pounds of aluminum.
Anheuser-Busch's aluminum recycling and source reduction efforts in 2004 yielded significant environmental and energy savings benefits. Using EPA's WAste Reduction Model (WARM), we calculated that their 2004 efforts reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 1.67 million Metric Tons of Carbon Equivalent, which is equal to the annual emission from 1.3 million cars.
To decrease paper waste, Anheuser Busch thought outside the can. In 2004, the company reduced the thickness of 30-pack can packages, saving 2.8 million pounds of paperboard. The company also increased use of Web-based electronic forms and included upgrades that enhanced electronic routing, signing, and workflow processes. With approximately 15,000 employees utilizing 350 e-forms, the company saw major reductions in time, money, and paper consumption.
Anheuser-Busch also continues to convert from hardwood to 100 percent polypropylene pallets. These new lightweight and reusable pallets reduce energy and transportation costs, as well as waste associated with product damage.
"We salute each of our employees for helping our company accomplish our waste reduction goals," said Doug Muhleman, group vice president of Brewing Operations and Technology.
Anheuser-Busch's recycling and waste reduction initiatives exemplify the types of activities encouraged by our own Resource Conservation Challenge within the national priority area of Municipal Solid Waste and Recycling.
For More Information:
- EPA's WasteWise Program
- Anheuser-Busch
Companies, Inc.
- Resource Conservation Challenge National Priority Area - Municipal Solid Waste and Recycling
- WAste Reduction Model (WARM) Web page