Circular economy: Best practices and future perspectives for the beer brewing industry

Details

Supervisors

Truyens, Vincent

Faculty

Louvain School of Management

Degree label

Master [120] en ingénieur de gestion

Abstract

This thesis is articulated in four distinct parts starting with the literature review of the brewing processes and knowledge developed over the last decades as well as its contribution to circular economy. This leads to the formulation of four hypothesis, to be answered on the basis of the information gathered in the second part which consisted in collecting internal inputs from Belgian brewers in the Walloon and Brussels region. This step revealed a very innovative sector already embedding circular economy in its DNA without sometimes even knowing what the actual economic concept is all about. The answers to the hypotheses can be found in the third part, and the key elements are the following. Firstly, financial investments are slowing the craft breweries down in their transition towards more circularity added to a potential correlation between an investment’s price tag and its circular impact. Secondly, despite being a very innovative sector, there is room for improvements, as far as circularity is concerned. Especially for higher added-value brewer spent grain (BSG) revaluation alternatives, as well as regarding the origin of the barley and the whole circularity and logistics associated with primary packaging. Thirdly, the difference between craft and industrial brewers is established but with the reassuring thoughts that they are not competing on the same market and that craft brewers will benefit from the industrials’ innovations once they have gone mainstream. Finally, brewers are well on their way towards circularity and are asking for external support to guide them through this process. Regarding the first and third hypothesis, financing alternatives have also emerged with circular economy, in the name of functionality economy. Long-standing and new public financing solutions only few are using, also represent solid alternatives to financially support a circular transition. Another summary has been created and is represented as a diagram, just before the conclusion. This scheme is the final result of this thesis and has been created to answer the guidance need coming from the brewers.