USA: Anheuser-Busch releases 2005 Environmental, Health and Safety report

Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. released June 05 its 2005 Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) report, detailing its efforts to protect the environment and promote workplace safety. The 2005 report highlights a significant decline in workplace injuries as well as savings in water and fuel use and a decrease in solid waste disposal through recycling.

Among the details of the report:

-- Total injury rate down 34 percent since 2001
-- Water use reduced by 3.3 percent since 2001
-- Solid waste disposal declined by 24 percent since 2001
-- Anheuser-Busch Recycling Corporation recycled approximately 369,000 metric tons of used aluminum beverage containers in 2005, more than 125 percent of the cans that Anheuser-Busch breweries use to package their products in the United States.

Anheuser-Busch's 2005 EHS Report focuses on the company's overall progress in promoting excellence in environmental, health, and safety performance for its brewing, packaging, agricultural, entertainment, and brewing-related operations. Excellence in EHS initiatives is the direct result of the dedication and leadership of Anheuser-Busch employees worldwide, who continually work to improve the company's performance through comprehensive safety, resource conservation and waste reduction programs.

"Anheuser-Busch seeks to continually improve its environmental performance by operating more efficiently and reducing waste and the environmental impacts of its products," said John Stier, Anheuser-Busch's group director of environmental affairs. "As this report shows, we've met nearly all of the 2005 goals that were established five years ago. We're in the process of forming new goals for 2010."

One of the highlights of 2005 was Anheuser-Busch's new Technology Center which was certified under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System(R). "The Technology Center was designed and built and is operated in an ecological and resource-efficient manner," said Doug Muhleman, group vice president of Brewing Operations and Technology, Anheuser-Busch, Inc. "In addition to being environmentally friendly, this building provides employees with a state-of-the-art work environment that is comfortable and productive, and saves money by lowering operating costs over the lifetime of the structure."

Anheuser-Busch is the world's largest operator of Bio-Energy Recovery Systems (BERS), a method of pretreating brewing-related wastewater anaerobically (in the absence of oxygen) and capturing biogas. This pretreatment beneficially converts waste nutrients into useable energy and reduces more than 80 percent of the organic treatment demands that would otherwise be imposed on local sewer treatment systems. Renewable biogas (methane) now provides 10 percent or more of fuel needs at breweries where BERS are used.

Anheuser-Busch's safety programs are a key element in the company's commitment to excellence. "Providing a safe workplace is a fundamental business responsibility, and one that Anheuser-Busch takes very seriously," said David Costello, director, corporate safety, health and risk management. "The company has developed a strong corporate culture focused on injury and illness prevention."

One effort promoting employee safety and wellness is Ability for Life, which debuted in 2003. This is a holistic program focusing on employees and their families, stressing the importance of health-conscious decisions in all actions, such as good nutrition, exercise and conditioning, regular health exams and the use of seat belts and bicycle helmets. Throughout 2005, Anheuser-Busch facilities continued to sponsor wellness events and fairs, and informational sessions to promote healthy lifestyles and prevention. In addition, wellness coordinators at several facilities have received reports from employees of how primary physician visits have led to early diagnosis and treatment of potentially serious illnesses.

The company's EHS efforts have not gone unrecognized by government agencies, environmental groups and industry peers. In 2005, Anheuser-Busch was inducted into the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's WasteWise Hall of Fame. WasteWise is a voluntary program through which companies commit to reducing industrial and municipal wastes. As a charter member since the program's inception in 1993, the company has reported significant waste reduction results, won multiple WasteWise awards and promoted the program to other organizations. In February 2006, Anheuser-Busch ranked first among its peers in the beverage industry in FORTUNE magazine's 2006 "America's Most Admired Companies" and first in all eight categories measured, including social responsibility. In addition, Anheuser-Busch has received numerous safety and health awards recognizing it as an industry leader in providing a safe work environment for employees.

Based in St. Louis, Anheuser-Busch (NYSE: BUD) is the leading American brewer, holding 50 percent of the U.S. beer market. The company is one of the largest theme park operators in the United States, a major manufacturer of aluminum cans and America's top recycler of aluminum cans. In addition, Anheuser-Busch supports a variety of community-level and national environmental organizations, such as Keep America Beautiful, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Conservation Fund. The company's SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Adventure Parks are leaders in animal rescue and rehabilitation, and have supported conservation projects worldwide for more than 30 years.

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