Waste Reduction and Recycling

We believe that waste is a resource that’s out of place. So we’re always looking to reduce waste and use resources wisely. We’re working to reduce packaging weights. We’re encouraging recycling. We’re finding ways to reuse almost every material. Our waste beer becomes ethanol, spent grain becomes cattle feed, and spent yeast goes into cat food. Every day, stuff that would otherwise end up in landfills gets a second life.
 
 

Reduction of Environmental Impact/Avoiding Landfills

Our breweries are making great strides toward zero waste. We’ve worked with employees and suppliers to improve waste collection and segregation and to develop cost-effective recycling options. Our malt and corn syrup companies have committed to explore waste reduction. Our bottles and cans contain a large percentage of recycled content, and most of our facilities recycle or reuse more than 95 percent of their solid waste. We actively support several community recycling programs to keep waste and packaging out of landfills.

 
 
 

Recyclable Materials and Practices

Nearly all the glass, paper, board, plastics and metals we use are recycled, diverting thousands of tons of waste from landfills. We contract with Cargill to manage all of our brewing byproducts to find beneficial uses. Annually, we find uses for tens of thousands of tons of organic byproducts and waste from brewing. We’re creative, too—our Fort Worth brewery sends nearly three truckloads a year of plastic barrels (about 900) to a vendor for shredding and reuse in garden and lawn applications.

 
 
 

Conservation Culture

Educating employees is critical to reducing the waste we generate. We work with vendors, for example, to educate our people on efficiency. We’re proud of a new employee volunteer group formed to educate the workforce about environmental responsibility, coordinate environmental volunteerism, reduce expenses through environmentally responsible actions, and foster internal recycling programs. We also have Green Teams set up to encourage environmental awareness and stewardship through individual responsibility, teamwork and community action.

 

Our spent yeast is sold to local manufacturers as a pet food ingredient.