MillerCoors' 2016 Sustainability Report shows continued progress

MillerCoors, with corporate offices in Chicago, has released its 2016 Sustainability Report, which provides a comprehensive review of the company’s 2015 efforts in the areas of alcohol responsibility, environmental stewardship and community investment. The nation’s second largest brewer, the company says it continues to help prevent drunk driving and underage consumption, reduce water use and brewery waste, and create equal opportunities for women in beer.

“At MillerCoors, we take our role as a responsible and high-quality corporate citizen very seriously,” says MillerCoors CEO Gavin Hattersley. “Our sustainability commitment to responsibility, to our communities and to our environment is deeply woven into the fabric of our company. We don’t treat it as a nice to do, it’s a must do for MillerCoors.”

MillerCoors developed its 2020 goals as a way to continue to positively impact the social, environmental and economic issues that affect the business, employees and stakeholders. Its ongoing sustainability efforts are measured against these goals and focus on the areas where they can make the greatest impact. MillerCoors 2020 goals also support a number of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) issued by the United Nations (UN).

“Our 2020 goals led us to great sustainability accomplishments in 2015,” says Kim Marotta, MillerCoors director of sustainability. “I am most proud of MillerCoors employees and partners who pioneered recycling efforts at our breweries, helped us protect water-stressed watersheds, and championed for diversity in and out of the workplace.”

MillerCoors 2016 Sustainability Report highlights accomplishments in the areas of Great Times, Great Environment, and Great People and Communities. In 2015, the brewer says it made significant strides working with college alliances to help prevent underage access to alcohol at music and sporting events. The company also partnered with major manufacturers, nongovernment organizations and consultancies to form the California Water Action Collaborative (CWAC), a group dedicated to protecting regional watersheds. Inside its walls, MillerCoors says it is creating opportunities for women to advance in management through leadership training and mentorship.

Additional 2015 sustainability accomplishments include:

• standing 15.1 million strong against drunk driving by encouraging people to take a safe ride home;
• reducing water usage within its breweries by more than 128 million gallons;
• reducing its water-to-beer ratio across all direct operations to 3.29:1.00 – a 2.1 percent reduction from 2014;
• reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by 18 percent compared to 2010 - a 4.9 percent decrease from 2014;
• achieving landfill-free operations at eight major breweries and two major manufacturing facilities;
• donating more than $11.8 million to nonprofits (comprised of in-kind and monetary donations); and
• cumulatively spending more than $3.48 billion with diverse suppliers since 2008, including minority and women-owned businesses.

The full 2016 Sustainability Report is available here.

Read more about MillerCoors sustainability initiatives in the March/April issue of Renewable Energy from Waste.