Working together: how do we brew a sustainable beer?

Mariëlle de Munnik, Business Development Manager Sustainable Entrepreneurship at Rabobank: “Our society demands less waste of resources, products that last longer, and are cleverly reused. Within Rabobank, we have the new Future Fit team. These colleagues work together with the business client to identify steps the company can take towards a sustainable future. This aligns perfectly with our mission ‘Growing a better world together’. For example, how can they reuse resources more effectively, and what about legislation concerning CSRD reporting? When I was searching for a new topic for the CIRCO Track, my Future Fit colleague advised me to have a conversation with Jopen. They expressed a desire to innovate but mentioned that a craft brewery doesn’t always have the people and resources for it. Collaboration with other breweries could further assist them. Thus, this CIRCO Track Beer Brewing was born. We bring entrepreneurs together to work on circular business models. What I find exciting is that results are immediately visible after just one session. The first barrels of waste have already been converted into value, thanks to a tip from one participating brewery to another!”

Can we reduce beer loss during the tapping process? Can packaging be made from eco-friendly materials? Can the heat generated during the brewing process be reused? Erwin says, ‘These kinds of questions about new circular business models are much better addressed by bringing companies facing similar challenges to the table. That’s precisely what a CIRCO Track is for: the program provides the opportunity to work together and make as much impact as possible. We can help each other to outline more concretely what is needed to become more sustainable and – especially when it comes to smaller breweries – to still be viable in ten years. This collaborative approach is essential because otherwise, we’re constantly reinventing the same wheel independently.’ The training program helps participants to concretize their sustainability ambitions. Erwin continues, ‘Jopen is a larger player in the craft market, but we’ve also found that we learn a lot from each other and that it’s meaningful to tackle projects together. Moreover, we also see it as our societal responsibility to share the knowledge we’ve gained. We can only accelerate the process of sustainability by strengthening each other.’ Participants in a CIRCO Track gain access to up-to-date knowledge, concrete tools, and insight into market developments. Erwin adds, ‘There were also several speakers present, including an expert from the packaging industry who informed us about a new type of plastic made from organic materials. That’s, of course, an incredibly interesting development for us.’

Aldert: “If you’re able to solve those issues, you enhance competitiveness and create new value for the company and its customers. At the same time, we realize that it demands a lot of inventiveness from the organization. Jopen is quite advanced when it comes to technology and techniques. However, often the most optimal solutions aren’t readily available. For example, brewing beer requires high temperatures, which consumes a lot of energy. Currently, this is achieved through gas combustion. However, that market is also evolving rapidly, so it’s possible that soon we could reach the required boiling point using a new heat pump technology. The condition is that it can be integrated into the current utilities, otherwise, it would be a very costly investment. It’s a complex topic, but also very enjoyable and necessary to engage with. Change doesn’t happen overnight. However, I’m convinced that collaboration with the right partners will help us. Once you’ve completed such a process, you’ll also know how to navigate more quickly and effectively in the future. This includes aspects like financing and applying for subsidies. Hopefully, we’ll soon be enjoying an even more sustainable beer.”