Zero Waste Beer
jennie.alvernaz@sfsierra.sierraclub.org
Fri, 22 Jan 1999 16:53:37 -0500
>
>Excerpts from a press release forwarded by Beth Graves, North Carolina
>Division of Pollution Prevention & Environmental Assistance, Raleigh, NC:
>
>A new brewery in Namibia (Southern Africa) sounds too good to be true: "Good
>beer, no chemicals, no pollution, more sales and more jobs"
>
>The system at the Namibian Breweries sorghum brewery in Tsumeb, a five-hour
>drive north of Windhoek, the capital city, is the result of extensive
>research and design over the Internet. A group of scientists supported by
>the United Nations University asked questions to fellow scholars on how to
>make best use of the spent grain, the alkaline waste water, and the CO2 gases
>that make up 98% of the waste from the brewery. The solution does not
>intervene in the core processing of the industry, but carefully tailors a
>system which reuses all waste into valuable products.
>
>The opening of the brewery in January, 1997, was not just a local affair.
>Representatives from Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and Latin America were
>scheduled to participate in a special training course to show how this Zero
>Emissions industrial design concept could be put to use in other countries.
>Gunter Pauli and his team at United Nations University have expanded their
>research on the application of the zero emissions concept to vegetable oils
>(palm, coconut and olive), construction materials (cement, bamboo), paper,
>fruits (pineapples), sugar, seaweed and sisal. It is hoped that this training
>course will unleash entrepreneurship and creativity, resulting in more jobs
>and a better use of natural resources. The United Nations Development Program
>(UNDP) has pledged full support.
>
>For questions to UNDP about their support to the Zero Emissions vision and
>the response from donor countries, please contact Anders Wijkman, director
>for the bureau of policy coordination and deputy administrator at phone
>212-906 5020 or fax 212-906 5857, or email wijkman@undp.org.
>
>For questions to Namibian Breweries and their reasons for undertaking this
>initiative, please contact Mrs. Brigitte Sass or Mr. G. Roux, head of public
>affairs at phone 264-61-262 915 ext. 2122 or fax 264-61-262 945.
>
>For questions to the United Nations University on the methodology of this
>research initiative, please contact Prof. Dr. Tarcisio Dellasenta, the
>director of the UNU Institute for Advanced Studies, at phone 81-3-5467 1388
>or fax 81-3-5467 1247, or email dellasenta@ias.unu.edu.
---------------------------------------
Excerpted from 4/14/97 Recycling Times:
COKE UNVEILS HEAVIER, CONTORTED SODA CAN
The Coca-Cola Company's new contorted soda can is now being sold in five
test markets: El Paso, TX; Terre Haute, IN; Las Cruces, NM; Tucson, AZ;
and San Angelo, TX. The new container mimics the distinctive curvy
shape of traditional glass and plastic Coke bottles. Although the cans
still hold 12 fluid ounces of liquid, they contain about 20 percent more
aluminum than the regular soda cans, according to William Neslage,
general manager of the Las Cruces Coca-Cola plant.
-------------------------------------
>Also excerpted from 4/14/97 Recycling Times:
CHALLENGE TO COCA-COLA TO CUT WASTE GOES UNANSWERED
In a March 19 letter, the Grassroots Recycling Network (GRN) wrote to
the chairman of the Coca-Cola Co. to ask the corporation to take several
recycling and waste reduction measures, including:
-- reestablish a nationwide system of refillable containers during the
next five years; and
-- commit to reinstate deposits on all containers within 18 months.
Because Coca-Cola did not respond to the proposal, GRN staged a
demonstration April 7 at the corporation's headquarters in Atlanta.
> - end -