Was it a miracle? Did you find a golden mine? Of course not, the group profited from upcycling because they invested in study, mentality change and relied on a combination of actions for sustainability.
What actions has Group Petropolis adopted?
According to Food Connection, “the company managed to turn part of the 8 thousand tons of waste produced in the manufacture and packaging of its products into revenue, thus reaching an increase of R$ 24.5 million in its annual revenue” (value equivalent to US$4.5 million)
Only 0.2% of the waste generated by them is landfilled and this waste is toilet waste. Production residues such as hops, yeast and malt return to the market. Malt husks are used to feed livestock, while what is left over from the crushing of cereals ends up in bricks in civil construction.
Packaging is part of it
The reverse logistics program collects the packages and exchanges them for new containers. Even used tires from trucks in the company’s fleet go to companies that produce synthetic grass.
How to achieve a result like this?
Upcycling is an important part of the process, but it goes hand in hand with optimizing the production process. Upcycling only makes sense if it is done with unavoidable waste, that is, what is avoidable, companies should avoid. It seems obvious, but many forget, what is possible to cut, exchange for more efficient or sustainable alternatives, do it!
When only unavoidable waste remains, then upcycling comes in.
Petropolis group did its homework, for example when reducing the amount of plastic and water used in its production, avoiding to deal with this waste unnecessarily. I recommend that you, who is reading this article, do this same exercise in your company, review in detail what can be optimized or reduced and what can simply be eliminated.
What about the future?
In the future, I hope that every company prioritizes an efficient and sustainable process from its conception and that upcycling is already an inherent part of its revenue, both to deal with its waste and to incorporate waste from other companies and thus achieve more competitive prices and more innovative products in your portfolio.
And when your company has waste or wants to use waste from other productions, us from Upcycling Solutions are here for your company to be the next to make money from upcycling and still make your process more sustainable, isn’t it the best deal?
Who else has profited from beer upcycling?
Want to know other creative upcycling solutions with beer waste? We’ve already talked about beer waste bars and 3D printer filament that even comes out with the golden color of the drink, click on the pink links!
Do you want to know how upcycling can change the game in your company? Click here!
Sources: Food Connection, Catalisi, Terra Magazine
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