Today, many companies are “going green.” But at Anheuser-Busch, we’re proud to say our tradition of environmental stewardship dates back to our founder, Adolphus Busch. In the late 1800s, he began recycling leftover grain from the brewing process, using it for cattle feed, a practice that continues today.
At our breweries, we now recycle more than 99 percent of the solid waste we create. Our subsidiary Anheuser-Busch Recycling Corp. is one of the world’s largest recyclers of aluminum beverage containers, recycling more than 27 billion cans annually. That’s 25 percent more cans than we put into the market.
We also strive to conserve water and energy. One way is through our Bio-Energy Recovery Systems (BERS) technology, a process that reclaims nutrient-rich leftover water from the brewing process to create renewable energy that provides up to 15 percent of the fuel for nine of our U.S. breweries as well as our brewery in Wuhan, China. As the pioneer and world’s largest user of this innovative BERS technology, we’re addressing water and energy efficiency at the same time. It’s a win-win for us and our local communities.
Our theme parks, SeaWorld and Busch Gardens, are widely recognized as global leaders in wildlife rescue and habitat conservation and education. And many of our employees actively donate their free time to preserving wetlands, protecting wildlife and habitats, and supporting recycling and litter prevention efforts.
And these are just a few of Anheuser-Busch’s initiatives. We’re always looking for ways to operate more efficiently, while maintaining our quality standards, and be better stewards of the environment. It’s the right thing for the environment and our company.