A Feasible Application of Circular Economy: Spent Grain Energy Recovery in the Beer Industry

Ortiz, I.; Torreiro, Yarima; Molina, Gregorio; Maroño, M.; Sánchez, José María

doi:10.1007/s12649-019-00677-y

Cited by 36 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Furthermore, spent grains must be dried before conversion in pellets or biochar and the cost associated with drying should be considered. However, gasification of brewers spent grain could allow to save fossil fuels in an amount that is around 22% in local small size breweries (Ortiz et al, 2019). Hydrothermal carbonization, also known as wet torrefaction, can be applied as a pretreatment on spent grains intended for biorefinery feedstock, since it is useful to improve the fuel properties of solid biomasses having high moisture content (Jackowski et al, 2020).…”

Section: Environmental Sustainability In the Craft Beer Productionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Craft beer: An overview

Baiano

2020

Comp Rev Food Sci Food Safe

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The purpose of the work was to provide an overview on craft beer. Details and issues concerning history and legal definition market, fiscal policy, innovation, safety, healthiness, consumer profile, and sustainability are supplied. The term “craft brewery” generally refers to a brewery able to produce low volumes of beer, often made with traditional ingredients—for emulating historic styles—but also with the addition of nontraditional ingredients as a distinctiveness sign of the master brewer. In many countries, the importance of the company size is related to the opportunity to take advantage of reduced excise rates for low production volumes. In several countries, another important requisite of a craft brewery is represented by its independence from other alcohol industry members. Even in the presence of a great heterogeneity of the size of craft breweries in the various countries, their number in the world is around 17,000. Craft beer is mainly consumed in restaurants and bars. Innovation of craft beer concerns aspects, such as ingredients, alcohol content, aging, and packaging, and the profile of the typical craft beer drinker is that of a young man, with a higher education and a medium‐high income. Craft beers are often not filtered/not pasteurized and, for these reasons, they are beverages rich in health compounds but with a reduced shelf life. As in the case of larger breweries, the environmental impact of craft breweries is mainly represented by water consumption and production of liquid and solid wastes.

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Section: Environmental Sustainability In the Craft Beer Productionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Craft beer: An overview

Baiano

2020

Comp Rev Food Sci Food Safe

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“…There are opportunities to add value to the waste when this material is introduced in new production chains. In fact, an energy recovery stage can be adopted, as recommended by Ortiz et al (2019). Therefore, the circular economy offers an important contribution to craft breweries when viewing waste as a resource.…”

Section: Cross-case Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of ecological modernization principles in advancing circular economy practices: lessons from the brewery sector

Sehnem¹,

Jabbour²,

Conceição

et al. 2021

BIJ

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PurposeThere is no literature that sought the revision and integration of ecological modernization of theory (EMT) and circular economy (CE). This article aims to answer the questions: How have companies developed circular economy practices within their operations? Why have companies invested in circular economy practices? Based on the answers to these questions, it would be possible to understand how the assumptions of EMT explain the adoption of CE practices.Design/methodology/approachThe research method is based on multiple case studies with Brazilian craft brewery companies.FindingsCompanies studied have pursed the adoption of circular economy practices, but the full potential of the use of biological cycles within their processes of production has been hampered by the lack of external policies and clear governance toward circular economy. Thus, pollution prevention policies may be an important driver for organizations be able to advance in circular economy practices.Research limitations/implicationsResearch limitations are coverage only of organizations located in an emerging country. A second limitation is that the data saturation was partially achieved in some of the analyzed cases, especially by the limitation of the time period surveyed (transversal research). The longitudinal evaluation is timely for circular economy surveys.Practical implicationsThe formulation of a regulatory framework through a participative, interactive and decentralized process, capable of delegating responsibilities and incentives to all entities, to contemplate a tax restructuring for the alcoholic beverage sector, could corroborate to create a new standard of action for the sector.Social implicationsThis document highlights how the principles of ecological modernization can contribute to the advancement of the circular economy. The understanding can help in the design of processes that provide circular and sustainable operations as a social good in a effective value.Originality/valueThe principles from EMT, such as the development of an institutional environment towards corporate environmental proactive, could enhance the adoption of circular economy practices within the brewery sector. Despite of the class association of the brewery sector has supported the companies studied to move forward in other matters, a clear governance is necessary to guide organizations towards circular economy practices.

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“…Brewers' spent grain is also widely used for renewable energy production, in the form of heat, biofuels, ethanol, and biogas [29][30][31]. In this context, Ortiz et al (2019) [32] investigated the gasification technology for BSG use for syngas production. However, the chemical-physical characteristics of BSG, such as its low C/N ratio, can cause operational problems for anerobic digesters when BSG is used as the main substrate [33].…”

Section: Different Utilization Routes Of Bsg An Alternative To Composting-an Overviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Suitability of Composting Process for the Disposal and Valorization of Brewer’s Spent Grain

et al. 2020

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The brewing industry is characterized by the large production of by-products. Following the fundamentals of a circular economy, several attempts to recycle brewers’ spent grain (BSG) have been investigated. However, little information is available on its use for composting. Considering the main parameters required for optimal development of composting, the objective of the present review was to analyze the literature to determine whether the microbial and physicochemical characteristics of BSG make it suitable for direct composting. As the main factors in the composting process, we considered the BSG moisture content, total carbon, total nitrogen, C/N ratio, and pH. As described in the literature, the BSG moisture content, C/N ratio, and pH range from 70.6% to 81.3%, 7.1 to 26.5, and 3.8 to 6.9, respectively. This C/N ratio range is lower than the composting target range (20–30). Instead, the mean moisture content in the literature is higher than the 60% to 65% recommended for composting. Optimum pH for aerobic stabilization of compost ranges from 5.5 to 7.5, while the BSG pH in the literature is typically more acidic. Therefore, BSG is not suitable for direct composting. Addition of lignocellulosic bulking agents improves the reduction of moisture content during composting, while also optimizing the substrate properties, such as C/N ratio, air spaces, and pH, to positively affect the composting process. Moreover, livestock manure should be included as a starting material to promote the composting process. In this context, two hypothetical initial mixtures of BSG plus a lignocellulosic bulking agent and livestock manure are presented.

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A Feasible Application of Circular Economy: Spent Grain Energy Recovery in the Beer Industry

Cited by 36 publications

References 24 publications

Craft beer: An overview

Craft beer: An overview

The role of ecological modernization principles in advancing circular economy practices: lessons from the brewery sector

Suitability of Composting Process for the Disposal and Valorization of Brewer’s Spent Grain

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