0
i Q Wastewater management
52.9
97%
130
Every Drop - protecting water resources
Looking ahead:
Our 2020
commitment:
All of our
wastewater
volumes are
treated - by us or
by a third party
- before being
discharged into
surface water
Our 2020
result:
Engaging with local suppliers
Creating value from wastewater
Heineken N.V.
Annual Report 2020
Introduction
Report of the
Executive Board
Report of the
Supervisory Board
Financial
Statements
Sustainability
Review
Other
Information
Partly achieved
Our contribution
to the SDGs:
11 1
6.3
Improve
water quality
Wastewater from our brewery processes
contains organic materials and cleaning
agents. We are committed to treating all
of our wastewater before we safely return
it to nature.
As announced in last year's report, we did
not fully meet our target. At the end of 2020,
97% of our wastewater volume was treated
before discharge (2019: 97%). The number of
sites without a wastewater treatment plant
remained the same 10, representing 2.5% of
beverage production volumes (2019: 10 sites,
2.4% volume).
Delays and travel restrictions resulting from
COVID-19 were some of the reasons why we
were not able to get our new plant in Serbia
operational, and construction in Lae and Port
Moresby (Papua New Guinea) was postponed.
We will work closely with these remaining
sites to ensure basic conditions of wastewater
treatment plants are addressed and 100% of
our wastewater volumes are treated in the
coming years.
total wastewater
volume in million m3
wastewater was treated
before discharge
Leading the way in wastewater treatment in Nigeria
In Nigeria, we treat the wastewater from our Aba brewery to a high quality before it is
discharged. This year, the brewery also treated additional wastewater from a nearby malting
plant to ensure treated water returned to nature.
Through collaboration with a local supplier, the brewery developed a highly innovative
treatment process which is exemplary for other breweries in Nigeria. Brewery wastewater
is used for aquaculture, supporting fish production for local consumption.
At many of our production sites, brewery
wastewater is treated in third-party
wastewater treatment plants. According to
our standards, these local operations are
requested to regularly verify that their process
operates within the legal and contractual
boundaries required.
We see opportunities to create healthier
watersheds and support communities.
Our ambition for 2030 is to maximise water
circularity by recovering, reusing and recycling
wastewater to benefit other water users.
Learn more about this topic on our website
We are at an early stage of our water
circularity journey and are working with
other members of the Beverage Industry
Environmental Roundtable to develop
consistent metrics and guidelines for
reducing stress on water resources.
