Chicago-based MillerCoors LLC, which brews much of its beer in Milwaukee, reported it reduced water usage by 9.1 percent per barrel in 2013.
The company, the second-largest brewer in the country, used an average of 3.48 barrels of water per barrel of beer last year. Some U.S. breweries use as much as six barrels of water per barrel of beer.
MillerCoors also reported in its 2014 Sustainability Report that it decreased water usage at its agricultural suppliers by helping to implement new farming techniques that have saved more than 429.5 million gallons of water since 2011.
The brewer’s 2013 energy usage was down 15.6 percent year over year, which equates to 1.6 billion mega joules of energy.
Six of the company’s eight breweries are now landfill-free, reusing or recycling more than 99 percent of waste. MillerCoors reduced landfill waste by 9.2 percent in 2013, equal to 1,300 tons.
“Our employees are our most valuable asset and the driving force behind our success in sustainability,” said Tom Long, chief executive officer of MillerCoors. “From expanding our flagship Free Rides program to reducing our water and energy use to all-time lows, our employees are dedicated to doing the right thing for our company, our communities and our consumers.”
