Grolsch aims for zero waste and takes concrete steps forward

Grolsch beer brewery reuses no less than 99.8% of its brewery waste. In 2019, Grolsch once again took concrete and visible steps towards becoming a zero-waste brewery through various projects involving packaging, carrier trays and drinking cups. From beer brushes, yeast and malt to bottles and labels, everything is reused. Almost 100% of the packaging Grolsch uses on the Dutch market is recyclable. Throughout its operations, the brewery encourages recycling and reuse of materials. This saves raw materials and is less harmful to the environment. These projects and results are described in the online Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility annual overview 2019, which the brewer is publishing today.

Grolsch has set itself the goal of working towards becoming a 'zero-waste' brewery. The basic principles behind this are circular ideas and actions. At the same time, the brewery aims to become fully CO₂-neutral by 2025: a brewery where all the energy used is generated in a sustainable manner. Grolsch is not only making its own business operations sustainable, it also promotes sustainable and responsible business practices among its suppliers and partners. They too are assessed in terms of their sustainability performance.

Saving materials, money and the environment
Koert van 't Hof, Corporate Affairs Director at Royal Grolsch, explains, "Our brewery recycles a high percentage of waste, no less than 99.8%. This means that almost everything we use in our brewery is reused in the chain. And in the coming years, we want to make further improvements that will result in less waste, less material consumption and lower transport costs. We are focusing particularly on the use of plastic. We aim to use less plastic, to make better use of it or to avoid the use of single-use plastics. Therefore, we are co-signatories of the Plastic Pact. We are well on our way towards becoming a zero-waste brewery, but those last seemingly small steps will require some effort from our side."

Highlights 2019
In addition to recycling and reusing materials, Grolsch achieved a number of good results in the field of Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility in 2019. A few highlights:

• Grolsch is actively working on its energy transition plan. In order to become fully CO₂-neutral, the brewery must convert the natural gas it uses into renewable energy sources. A step-by-step plan has been drawn up for this and the first steps will be worked out in 2019. The aim is to be able to supply approximately two thirds of the heat required sustainably by 2023.
   
• ‘Geniet & Geef, de beste brouwers voor het goede doel’ (‘Enjoy & Give, the best brewers for a good cause’) is a yearly initiative in which catering entrepreneurs, Albert Heijn and Mitra raise money for the Children's Cancer-free Foundation (KiKa). Master brewer Guy Evers brewed Grolsch Honing Weizen especially for Geniet & Geef. This beer raised a record amount of €127,525 for the KiKa foundation.
   
• Seven regional projects received a financial contribution from the Grolsch Craftmanship is Mastery Fund. The aim is to support 'craftsmanship and mastery' in the Twente and Achterhoek regions. All projects must meet criteria in the field of entrepreneurship, innovation, sustainability and character.
   
• Grolsch once again expanded its portfolio of 0.0% beers in 2019, launching Grolsch Weizen 0.0%, Grolsch Herfstbier 0.0%, Kornuit 0.0% and Peroni Libera 0.0%. With these newly launched products, Grolsch is responding to the growing popularity of non-alcoholic beers in the Netherlands and promoting responsible alcohol consumption.

 

• Grolsch launched a face-to-face Responsible Serving of Alcohol training course for all its customers with a focus on sports and student associations, and events. During this course, which ties well with the National Prevention Agreement, participants learn how to deal with (difficult) situations surrounding responsible alcohol serving.

 

Results available online 
Curious about Grolsch's objectives, results and activities in the field of sustainability and corporate social responsibility in 2019? If so, have a look at the annual overview for 2019 online as well as the explanatory notes on the website of Royal Grolsch.

 

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