Timaru’s iconic DB Draught Brewery has completed construction of its new on-site wastewater treatment facility, meaning that 100% of its wastewater will now be treated before being returned to the environment.
DB Breweries’ Managing Director Matt Wilson said the new facility is part of DB’s ambitious strategy to ensure environmental, social and responsible sustainability across all its operations.
“DB Draught Brewery has a long and proud history of operating in Timaru, and as a business, we are passionate about helping to better the South Canterbury region where our people live, work and play. This new facility ensures our brewery leaves as light a footprint as possible on the local waterways by returning only treated water to the environment.
Our amazing brewery team has also made sure that the by-product from treating the wastewater is also recycled as compost, thus diverting it away from landfill and contributing towards the region’s circular economy given its high nutrient value.
It’s all part of DB’s continued commitment and consideration towards our role as caretakers of the land, people and environment wherever we operate. We’re taking specific, measurable actions across all our operations that will contribute towards limiting global warming, and which in turn may reduce the effects of climate change in Aotearoa New Zealand in the years to come.”
DB Draught Brewery has made a significant number of sustainability improvements to the business in the past three years.
This included the introduction of 12 electric forklifts to eliminate on-site logistic carbon emissions in 2021, switching from coal to a sustainable locally sourced biomass fuel for its process heat in 2022, and replacing its cooling plant this year with one that uses a more environmentally friendly refrigerant.
The brewery is continuing to look at ways to improve and innovate its infrastructure, systems and processes to become even more sustainable in the medium to long term.
