Kentucky distilleries’ collective energy and water use ratios consistently declined from 2013 to 2017, and rested below the global distillery averages in 2017, according to a study from the Kentucky Distilleries Association which partnered with Beer Industry Environmental Roundtable.
Nine of the 11 participating Kentucky distilleries performed within the top 50% of global distilleries with regard to energy use ratio.
Moreover, the average water use ratio for Kentucky distilleries decreased more than 41% from 53.40 L/L in 2013 to 31.32 L/L in 2017, representing a total water use avoidance of more than 6 million kiloliters – enough to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool nearly 2,400 times, the study notes.
Heaven Hill Brands is a KDA member that was new to BIER’s environmental benchmarking study, and it presented some of the greatest efficiency improvement.
After updating the water source at its Bernheim Distillery, the company reduced its water usage by 33%. By placing two still condensers onto the cooling tower loop, the distillery now recycles water within its operations instead of sourcing it new – saving 330,000 gallons of water per day.
Historically, Heaven Hill Brands has tracked environmental information primarily to comply with regulatory requirements; however, in recent years, it has used data to make informed decisions on sustainability-related equipment purchases and process improvements.
Thanks to the study, the company has identified its environmental footprint, compared it to industry peers’, and discussed ways to strive for even greater efficiency moving forward.
Rhoneé Rodgers, the company’s Environmental Health & Safety Manager, said, “Participating in this study helped me understand the beverage industry’s impact on environmental sustainability. While Heaven Hill makes a direct impact locally, we make a greater difference when we work in conjunction with our colleagues across the industry. I feel good about what we have accomplished so far and will continue striving for this goal of environmental sustainability.”
Despite its success, KDA’s first environmental benchmarking study encountered challenges, too. Craft distilleries lacked the employee resources to track energy and water usage over the past five years, and larger distilleries struggled to quantify their Scope 1 and 2 emissions.
Moving forward, KDA will partner with BIER and local stakeholders like the Kentucky Energy & Environment Cabinet’s Division of Compliance Assistance to provide workshops that strengthen these capabilities among Kentucky’s distilleries.