Wastes and Emissions

In this section …

• Solid Waste Landfilled
• Hazardous Waste Management
• Management of Ozone-Depleting Substances

In 2005, our company was inducted into the U.S. EPA's WasteWise Hall of Fame for achieving significant waste reduction results since 1993, when we first joined the voluntary program as a charter member.

Key Strategies

Set solid waste reduction targets
Implement energy efficiency and recycling initiatives
Minimize packaging and other raw material usage
Actively participate in voluntary waste reduction programs, like the U.S. EPA's WasteWise program

Solid Waste Landfilled

Anheuser-Busch has reduced its landfilled solid waste significantly through recycling and other companywide, employee-supported waste reduction programs. Over the past five years, we have continued to reduce waste and recycle. In 2006, we generated 60,000 pounds (2.74 metric tons) of solid waste per million dollars adjusted net sales, company wide. This is a 3.6 percent decrease from 2005. We are on track to achieve our 2010 goal of 2.4 metric tons per million dollars adjusted net sales.

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Hazardous Waste Management

Reducing hazardous waste is an important means of providing safer workplaces, reducing the company’s environmental impact and avoiding future liabilities. We have focused our efforts on reducing these wastes through the following strategies:

Improving inventory control
Substituting nonhazardous materials
Carefully segregating waste streams to facilitate reuse and recycling
Installing solvent recovery systems

Facility EHS coordinators work with employees to increase awareness of the importance of hazardous waste minimization and to integrate EHS concerns into business decision-making processes. Our Waste Site Review program reviews and approves waste management contractors, and handling and disposal sites. All Anheuser-Busch subsidiaries and facilities must use only approved sites.

Link:
Managing our waste disposal sites

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Hazardous Waste Generation

In 2006, all U.S. breweries were classified as small-quantity hazardous waste generators, with the exception of the Newark, New Jersey, brewery, which was categorized as a large-quantity generator because of freon-contaminated waste oil from the brewery's refrigerant system. The majority of the waste generated by the 11 small-quantity generators is paint-waste related.

We achieved an 8.8 percent reduction in hazardous waste generation, in our U.S. operations, from 2005 to 2006. Our waste totaled 32 pounds (14.5 kilograms) per million dollars adjusted net sales. We are proud of our achievements, but continue to work toward our goal of 22.3 pounds (10.1 kilograms) per million dollars adjusted net sales by 2010. We continue to explore nonhazardous substitutes and to minimize hazardous material use to improve performance.

The one-time increase in 2002 illustrated in the graph was a result of contaminated soil disposed of during a construction project that year.

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Toxic Releases

As required by the U.S. EPA under the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA), Anheuser-Busch reports annually on releases of toxic chemicals to the environment.

In 2005, nearly 44 percent of Anheuser-Busch’s reported SARA releases and transfers were releases to air and approximately 52 percent were releases to water. Glycol ethers and n-butyl alcohol comprised approximately 72 percent of reported air emissions. Glycol ethers and n-butyl alcohol are contained in the coatings used to prepare bare aluminum cans for beverage container use. The remaining air emissions, primarily reported by the breweries, consisted of compounds generated during fuel combustion and small amounts of ammonia from refrigeration systems.

SARA reportable releases to water consisted almost entirely of nitrate compounds, which are produced naturally during wastewater treatment from the organic nitrogen found in grain and hops. Nitrate compounds accounted for the increase in releases from 2004 to 2005.

The graph represents only those U.S. facilities that must report these data. In 2005, these facilities included 11 U.S. breweries, one agricultural facility and 11 U.S. packaging facilities. Data for 2006 will be reported on this website when they become available. From 2001 to 2005, SARA releases and transfers increased slightly, by 3 percent.

Link:
U.S. EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory program

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Management of Ozone-Depleting Substances

In 1995, Anheuser-Busch implemented a program to minimize the use of ozone depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) throughout our operations. All but one of Anheuser-Busch’s breweries use ammonia instead of CFCs in their refrigeration systems. Busch Entertainment Corporation uses CFCs in the cooling systems required for ice machines and maintaining cold-water environments for marine animals.

Innovative Pest Control, Busch Agricultural Resources, Inc.

Busch Agricultural Resources, Inc., (BARI) uses heat treatment in its rice milling operations as an alternative to using methyl bromide, a highly effective, but ozone-depleting chemica used for pest control. The heat treatment approach is based on an innovative use of century-old technology. By raising the temperature of an area to 140 degrees Fahrenheit for 24 hours, BARI is achieving superior results compared with using methyl bromide. While additional natural gas is needed to heat the process areas adequately, the increase in fuel use is not significant. The heat treatment also eliminates the need to shut down nonmilling operations during treatment.

Initial testing and use of heat treatment began in 2002 at BARI’s Woodland, California, rice mill. In 2004, heat treatment replaced all methyl bromide treatment at the mill portion of both of the company’s rice mill operations in Woodland, California, and Jonesboro, Arkansas. Because the process may result in some undue stress to equipment and facilities, BARI continues to carefully evaluate all applications to prevent damage and to maximize use of the new process. The goal is to improve the Integrated Pest Management program such that the annual number of heat treatments can be reduced. Other companies have visited the sites to see the process and its potential applicability to their own operations.

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