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Waste Reduction and Recycling

Molson Coors Brewing Company strives to reduce our environmental impact by minimizing the amount of waste we generate and recycling and reusing materials wherever possible. In the words of Bill Coors, grandson and third generation to the Coors Brewing Company founder, “Waste is a resource out of place.”

Our priority areas are: Packaging, By-Products and Recycling

Packaging

The majority of our primary packaging materials are either recyclable, refillable, and/or light weighted, which reduces materials used to package and ship our products into the marketplace and also results in cost savings associated with transportation. When designing new products and packages, environmental considerations are part of the process. Employees at all levels are encouraged to share ideas for improving processes and reducing our impact on the environment.

Canada

  • An average of 98% of Molson Breweries bottles and 83% of cans are returned to points of sale by consumers, who are also invited to return the cardboard packaging
  • Returned materials are either reused or recycled. Each year this saves landfills from millions of pounds of glass, aluminum, and corrugated cardboard
  • Molson bottles are reused 15–20 times after which they are sold to glass manufacturers
  • The loops holding six-pack cans together are photodegradable and are designed to break so small animals can’t become ensnared in them
  • The Packaging Association of Canada (PAC) awarded Molson Canadian a Bronze award at the Sustainable Packaging Leadership Awards on Earth Day, April 22 2008.

United States

  • Historically, the first commercially-produced aluminum beverage can in America was made at Coors’ plant in Golden, Colorado, in 1959. At that time the beverage industry was using tin cans, which imparted an unpleasant aftertaste in beer and were known to leak. This technology ultimately became the industry standard
  • That same year, the company also launched the first large-scale recycling program which offered one penny for every returned aluminum beverage can

United Kingdom

In 2006 CBL redesigned the Grolsch bottle to be narrower, more tapered and with a smaller label. All Coors Brewers brands are now packaged in this redesigned bottle, which has reduced the package weight by 13 percent.

By-products

Canada

  • Carbon dioxide released during fermentation is collected and reused in the carbonation process
  • Liquid waste has no toxins and is 100% treatable by today’s treatment facilities
  • Spent grains are sold to local farmers for livestock feed or fertilizer

United States

  • Our Golden facility recycles or reuses an average of 95 percent of its solid waste
  • Each year, Coors sells about 3 million gallons of ethanol, a byproduct of the brewing process, to Colorado refineries
  • We also sell 600 million pounds of wet cattle feed, another brewing byproduct, to Front Range ranches
  • Both breweries have wastewater treatment facilities
  • Carbon dioxide is collected and reused in our breweries

United Kingdom

  • A highly efficient effluent treatment plant is coming on line by early 2008 at the Tadcaster brewery
  • Spent grain and other waste products from the brewing process are sold for cattle feed
  • Brewing by-products are harnessed to create methane gas, which is sent back into the brewery to fuel the boilers
  • In Tadcaster, methane produced from the effluent stream in the new effluent plant will be used as fuel for the boilers

Recycling

Depending on the country, different community programs are available for recycling containers and packaging materials.

Canada

  • All Molson offices throughout Canada practice recycling programs for glass, cans, and fine paper.
  • Molson uses industry return glass bottles which allows for the bottles to be reused an average of 12-15 times, and broken bottles are then recycled and used to make new ones.
  • In addition to the bottle recycling and reuse, Molson recycles its corrugated containers and aluminum cans (in come cases, the crowns and labels are recycled too). The cartons are returned to the brewery and in turn recycled through paper mills, and all secondary material like the boxboard or corrugate are bailed and returned to mills where they are recycled back into linerboard.
  • 98% of Molson Breweries bottles and 83% of cans are returned to points of sale by consumers.
  • In June 2008 Molson announced that the company would only use No 1 recyclable polyethylene (PET) plastic glasses at events across Québec where company brand products are sold. The new glasses, widely accepted by municiple recycling facilities in the province, replace the No 6 polystyrene plastic glasses traditionally used in the brewing industry.

United States

  • Last year Coors Brewing Company recycled a total of 4,357 tons of cardboard and paper, 3,310 tons of glass, 1,107 tons of aluminum and 264 tons of plastics.
  • Initiatives are underway to expand office recycling to include other materials beyond paper.
  • We support community-based, voluntary recycling initiatives to capture beverage containers and other packaging material.

United Kingdom

  • Coors Brewers recycles scrap metal and major material waste, in addition to office paper and cardboard. Several years ago the 5S program was adopted companywide. This Japanese-based concept for continuous improvement in the workplace emphasizes classification, organization, cleanliness, maintenance and discipline. It is a disciplined, formal approach to “good housekeeping” practices