• Anheuser-Busch Inc. brewery (Merrimack, NH) and Southeastern Container Inc. (Hudson, NH) are the 2008 recipients of the prestigious Governor's Award for Pollution Prevention
CONCORD, NH, Oct. 30, 2008 -- The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services announced the winners of the 2008 Governor's Award for Pollution Prevention. Two New Hampshire companies, Anheuser-Busch Inc. Merrimack brewery and Southeastern Container Inc. of Hudson, will be presented with Governor's Awards that recognize outstanding pollution prevention practices in businesses and organizations. Governor Lynch will meet with representatives from the companies on Oct. 30 at their respective facilities.
The Anheuser-Busch Inc. Merrimack brewery is engaged in brewing, packaging and shipping of malt beverages. Anheuser-Busch Inc. installed the anaerobic Bio-Energy Recovery Systems (BERS) to pre-treat brewery wastewater and to produce biogas for use as a renewable fuel. As a result, this project reduced boiler fossil fuel purchases, reduced air emissions and enabled process equipment that was labor intensive and energy inefficient to be shut down. This process also reduced costs associated with Anheuser-Busch'son-site wastewater pretreatment processes and the subsequent off-site treatment by the Town of Merrimack Waste Water Treatment Facility.
The net air emissions reduction was 178 metric tons; energy reduction was 1,024,000 kWh; and net fuel savings were 91,000 MMBtu. Anheuser-Busch and the town have worked cooperatively on environmental and financial issues related to wastewater treatment. These actions facilitated the construction of the BERS anaerobic wastewater pretreatment system. This system benefits both parties through reduced operating costs, reduced air emissions and less odor with Anheuser-Busch realizing a savings of more than $2.3 million per year. The Anheuser-Busch Merrimack facility recycles more than 99 percent of solid waste it generates. Anheuser-Busch was an Honorable Mention Governor's Award winner for its new energy-efficient heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) system in 2002.
Southeastern Container in Hudson produces 20 oz and 2 liter plastic bottles for Coca-Cola bottling facilities in the Northeast. Southeastern Container initiated the Plant Environmental Program this part of a corporate strategy to reduce the plant's environmental footprint in the areas of energy, raw material and natural resource usage. As part of this program, the bottling raw material demand from January 2008 to May 2008 was reduced by 1,946,000 pounds saving the company$1.7M. During this time period, these projects resulted in a decrease of 1,947,247 lbs of CO2 emissions, 1,651,609 kWh of electricity, which is the equivalent of 113,961 gallons of oil. The company also changed their packaging process by reusing and recycling plastic, which reduced their solid waste by 1,404 cargo airbags, 10,000 lbs of cardboard, 18,000 lbs of PET plastic strapping and 1,000 lbs of plastic LDPE wrap. Southeastern estimates the costs of implementing these projects will be paid back in one year on top of the fact that they will save approximately $1.9M per year after payback. Southeastern Container was a 2007 Honorable Mention Governor's Award winner for their air recovery system and bottling production process changes.
Four New Hampshire businesses and organizations received an Honorable Mention award for their pollution prevention efforts: FCI USA Inc. of Lincoln; Goss International Americas Inc. of Durham; Symmetry Medical PolyVac of Manchester; and Wire Belt Company of America in Londonderry.
>> More information on NH pollution prevention activities and programs
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