Most of the complaints about odours were caused by problems with a new waste
water treatment installation at the Marseilles' production unit; improvements to the
odour-control equipment will solve these problems.
5.7 By-products and solid waste from the European
production units
A number of by- products - spent grains, trub, yeast and carbon dioxide - are formed
during various stages in the production process. We endeavour to minimise the
quantity of by-products formed during our operations by making optimum use of raw
materials and packaging materials and by the optimisation of the production proces
ses. We also search for the most economic and environmentally friendly means of dis
posing the by-products and the waste.
Some 90 to 95 percent of the by-products and waste can be recycled or reused by
Heineken, or by other companies. For example, spent grains and trub (a mixture of
wort, hops and proteins) are sold for use in animal feeds. The yeast finds use in the
pharmaceuticals industry, whilst the surplus of C02 released as a result of the fermen
tation process is used by other manufacturers of beverages. Within this context
research currently in progress is examining alternative applications for the proces
sing of kieselguhr, in addition to its present use in the brick-making industry.
As virtually all wastewater sludge originates from aerobic wastewater treat
ment installations, the figures incorporated in this report pertain solely to the quan
tities of sludge produced by production units that are equipped with an installation of
this kind. In 1999 sludge was produced with a dry matter content of 6,496 tonnes.
THE REPLACEMENT OF THE 200 CC BOTTLE BY A NEW AND LIGHTER DESIGN ENABLES THE TRUCKS DEPARTING FROM THE VRUMONA PREMISES TO TRANSPORT
30 PERCENT MORE BOTTLES. THIS CONTRIBUTES TOWARDS A REDUCTION OF THE AMOUNT OF HEAVY GOODS VEHICLE TRAFFIC AND THEREFORE THE IMPACT
OF TRANSPORT ON THE ENVIRONMENT.
EUROPEAN ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE
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