Stieglbrauerei is celebrating its 530th anniversary this year and invited the expert Stefan Blachfellner, Managing Director of the Circular Economy Forum Austria, to a field talk on 7 July 2022 on the occasion of the presentation of its current 32nd sustainability report to provide information on the circular economy and sustainability at Stiegl with Stiegl's head brewmaster Christian Pöpperl and Konrad Steiner, scientific advisor to Stiegl. For Stiegl, thinking in generations means thinking in cycles. Therefore, resources for brewing beer are kept in circulation for as long as possible and concepts for the multiple utilisation of raw materials are constantly being developed. Stiegl has therefore placed the circular economy at the forefront of its strategy and is already practising and researching circular economy models in its innovation laboratory, the Stiegl estate in Wildshut.
The Circular Economy Forum has set itself the goal of demonstrating the circular economy as an alternative to our linear economic thinking and supporting companies in achieving more with less. "Specifically, the concept is about preserving the value of resources for as long as possible. The challenge is that there is still no standardised understanding of the term and the circular economy is still understood in very different ways. In Austria, the term is often associated with Recycling equated. This negates the infinite potential for innovation, because we are still working in a linear way and only think about what to do with everything that is left over at the end," emphasised Blachfellner. As important as it is to make materials recyclable, we should consider whether we need materials at all.
The advantage of the circular economy is quickly explained. Thinking in cycles increases the value of material resources while reducing overall resource consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, waste and pollution. "From a corporate perspective, the circular economy is of course an innovation challenge that can only be mastered step by step, but in the long term can reduce costs, create more resilient and independent supply chains and processes and secure value contributions," added Blachfellner.
One example of efficient value creation cycles at Stiegl is "cascade utilisation". This refers to the multiple utilisation of a raw material over several stages. This means using as little as possible or utilising the raw materials effectively and multiple times and keeping them in the economic system for as long as possible. In addition to cascade utilisation and recycling measures at various levels, the circular economy at Stiegl also means sensibly recycling residual materials that arise during beer production.
The brewing residue spent grain is recycled as animal feed at Stiegl-Gut Wildshut. There is another use in between: Plates for single use. And diatomaceous earth, which is needed to filter the beer, is then used as a protein-rich fertiliser in the soil. Two examples of the circular economy and sustainability that are practised at the Stiegl estate - in collaboration with partners from the fields of education and research, such as the HBLA for Agriculture in Ursprung or the FH Salzburg Campus Kuchl, the Braunau district administration and the parent brewery in Salzburg. "I'm thrilled, this is a lively field of experimentation. Many companies are just starting out," says Stefan Blachfellner. He is looking forward to a possible collaboration in the coming years.
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