NOVATO, CA -- (Marketwire) -- 08/19/08 -- World Brews has partnered with Bavaria, one of
Europe's most energy efficient breweries, to be the exclusive US importer
of its award-winning portfolio of beers that includes Bavaria, Bavaria
Light, and Hollandia. This is great news for the ever-growing number of
consumers who are constantly seeking products that have the smallest impact
on the environment. The energy the Bavaria brewery uses to produce one
case of beer is among the lowest worldwide. And Bavaria employs a series
of sustainable practices that are as impressive as they are effective.
Bavaria is an independent family-owned company that has been continuously
owned and operated by the Swinkels family, which is now in their seventh
generation of brewing. The family strongly believes in preserving natural
resources for future generations and acts accordingly. Far from just
jumping on the current "green" bandwagon, Bavaria has been concerned with
the environment for decades. In the 1980s, Bavaria began making
significant capital investments to reduce its impact on the environment.
In 1995, former CEO, Peter Swinkels, began actively promoting "green"
sustainability at Bavaria. In 2003, Bavaria won an award for the best new
environmental report.
A Selection of Bavaria's Sustainable Practices:
Waste Water: In 1985, Bavaria invested in a waste water treatment plant and
a combined heat power unit to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. Bavaria was
the first brewery in the Netherlands with these kinds of facilities. With
the purification system, all spring water that is left over from the
brewing process is purified and then released into the neighboring canals.
The purified water is cleaner than the surrounding streams and therefore
increases the purity level of Lieshout's waterways. In this way, Bavaria
plays an active role in improving the quality of local water resources.
Energy: Every year about 1 million cubic meters (m3) of methane gas are
generated as a natural by-product of the waste water purification process.
This gas is captured and used to produce steam and electricity and to fuel
the combined heat power unit. The captured methane provides 10% of the
brewery's energy needs. The unit also stores excess energy that is later
used for malting, brewing and packaging. In 2006, Bavaria implemented a
new step in the brewing process that uses a vacuum to save up to 700,000 m3
of natural gas.
CO2: The carbon dioxide (CO2) that is released during the beer fermentation
process is captured and reused in the bottling and packaging department,
rather than released into the atmosphere as a greenhouse gas. It is also
sold on the open market.
Recycling: The brewery limits their solid waste by recycling. Overall,
Bavaria recycles 99% of all solid waste. Even the organic by-products,
barley, wheat, and hops are sold to farmers for animal feed.
Certified Management System: Bavaria uses the ISO 14001 system to manage
its environmental impact and track its progress against stated goals. With
this system, Bavaria can identify and control the environmental impact of
its activities, products or services, continually improve its environmental
performance, and implement a systematic approach to setting environmental
objectives and targets. This system and its use are audited by Lloyd's of
London.
About Bavaria: Today's Swinkels are the 7th generation of this notable
lineage to own and operate the Bavaria brewery. Many forward-thinking
family members have helped create the brewery's legendary status. By
controlling the entire brewing process, the latest generation of Swinkels
is achieving the highest brewing standards possible. Thanks to their
efforts, Bavaria is now the second largest brewer in Holland and available
in over 100 countries.
About World Brews: As the exclusive importer of Bavaria, Hollandia, Dutch
Crown, and Dutch Windmill, World Brews is responsible for their sales,
marketing, and distribution throughout the United States. World Brews, the
beer division of Novato, California based Winery Exchange, Inc.,
distributes beer to all 50 states and works with over 120 distributors
throughout the USA.
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