No water, no beer – Red Stripe leads the way in water conservation

IT IS a fact that water scarcity is becoming a more tangible threat.

Climate change experts predict that within a few decades, the country will face water shortages, resulting in consequential effects that will materialise in our daily lives. Now, more than ever, water stewardship must be a priority, not only for the Government and environmentalists, but also for businesses that rely on the resource for their existence.

It is common for companies in water-intensive industries to use more water than is required. This is all the more reason more consideration needs to be placed on water conservation within businesses. Although Jamaica is the ‘land of wood and water’, we are at risk of losing the resource because there is much more work to be done in how to utilise it more responsibly to reduce the risk of the nation facing the effects of water shortage.

As a beer manufacturer, Red Stripe is among those companies that depend on the availability of water for key elements of its operations. It is therefore imperative that sustainability guides our actions. Water is crucial in our production process and is the main ingredient in our products. It takes 6.5 hectolitres (HL) of water to make one bottle of Red Stripe beer, so we have to pay close attention to how we use the resource. Running out of water or not having enough is therefore not an option, because no water means no business.

We rely on water from wells under our control through licensed ownership from the Water Resources Authority. As part of the HEINEKEN Company, Red Stripe is measured against international benchmark standards for breweries. The first rule of thumb is ‘If you can’t measure it, you can’t control it’. So over the last 20 years, the company has installed magnetic flowmeters best suited for water measurement into the distribution ring mains and metering mains. We also use meters for daily tracking and in compliance with our operating licences.

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS

Red Stripe has invested in a reverse osmosis (RO) plant which processes 70 per cent of the water pulled from our aquifers. Our Nano Filtration plant processes the remaining 30 per cent to recover 65 per cent of usable water. This system has reduced water consumption for the site by 2hl/hl. Continuous improvements are in place to optimise and improve the water usage of equipment. Recycling water from the final production stage on the bottle washer to the crate cleaner was implemented in 2015, realising a saving of 0.5 hl/hl.

Part of using water responsibly includes the treatment of waste water. Removing contaminants from water before releasing it into the environment is crucial in preventing environmental damage, some of which can impact our water economy. Acknowledging this, Red Stripe employs a fully operational waste water treatment plant to treat its influents and send effluent to the mangroves within the defined parameters of the National Environment and Planning Agency operating licence.

The strides Red Stripe has made in water stewardship could not have been possible without a vision achieved through institutional and industrial collaboration. As businesses, we must play our part in contributing to the Vision 2030 Plan, which includes meeting all the water and sanitation needs of our people and industry, using modalities that are safe and sustainable.

Moving forward, we must explore technology that will allow us to use water to its fullest potential without threatening the natural environment. We can rest assured knowing we have the support of policymakers willing to help us put systems in place to use water more efficiently. Now is the time for us to take care of water. If we take care of it, it will in turn take care of us.