Trainee at fair: sustainability sounds good! – But what exactly is behind it?

… A question that has also occurred to Klara and Lisa, who during their researches for the BrauBeviale 2014 repeatedly came across keywords like “enviro”, “energy savings”, or “resource-economy”. But what does all this in fact mean? And how, specifically, is sustainability being implemented at Krones? The two trainees Klara and Lisa investigate!

What exactly is enviro?

This is the question that we, Klara and Lisa, decided to investigate, so we began researching. Basically, enviro is a sustainability programme and a rating system, which has been certified and recognised by the TÜV South Technical Inspectorate. We learned that Krones has thus created a harmonised standard, enabling the eco-friendliness and media/energy-efficiency of lines and machines to be measured, i.e. the quantity of energy and resources consumed.

enviro Passport

When a machine or a line meets the enviro standards, it gets an enviro passport. So what are these standards exactly? Of course, a machine has to be eco-friendly in design and resource-economical in operation if it is to be awarded an enviro certificate. Our researches have revealed that machines with the enviro certificate have to be high-performing and innovative, and that dependable operator control has to be assured.

Overall, the aim is for all stages of the production process to be designed for maximised eco-compatibility. So this applies for every step in the production process, in which the goal is to use as few hazardous substances as possible and to replace hazardous ones by eco-friendlier substances. And the disposal of all production aids, too, is required to be maximally eco-compatible.

We learned that enviro is meanwhile a fixed constituent in Krones’ entire development work. By 2015, the aim is to have all the older Krones models produced in accordance with the enviro guidelines, so that then all Krones’ machines can be rated in full accordance with the enviro standards. We wholeheartedly approve!

Energy consultancy

Another point designed to ensure enhanced sustainability is Krones’ energy consultancy. Krones advises breweries, and thus helps them to save on energy and resources, to optimise their procedures, and to make maximised use of recycling. Machines and processes are scrutinised in order to identify weak points and potential savings. For each brewery, a customised concept is drawn up following the energy analysis.

The aims of energy consultancy, for example, are to ensure that energy and media are used efficiently and economically, and to reduce the water consumption and CO₂ emissions involved. Overall, the idea is to achieve an efficient synthesis of ecology and economy so as to downsize the breweries’ energy costs as well.

More interesting details on the subject of sustainability will shortly be supplied by Daniela and Michael from the HR Team. Their researches have taken them to the Murau Brewery in Austria – so watch this space … 🙂