Company: Thai Asia Pacific Brewery Co., Ltd.
Country: Thailand
Project Name: Water for Life
Category: Environment
Website:
Objectives:
The project aimed to do the following:
i.enhance the effectiveness of wastewater treatment and waste disposal through natural means
ii.tackle environmental pollution in general through appropriate technology
Details of the project:
Since water was one of the major ingredients in brewing beer and formed a significant by-product of the brewing process, Thai Asia Pacific Brewery Co., Ltd. (TAPB), producer and distributor of Heineken, Tiger and Cheers beer in Thailand, decided to implement the "Water for Life" project. The project involved a natural wastewater treatment system as opposed to what the brewery had been using: anaerobic and aerobic systems that produced treated wastewater, which met government specifications. However, as part of TAPB’s commitment to care for the environment, the project was developed to further treat wastewater released from the current system so that the final water discharged into the irrigation canal would be clean and stable.
The project was modeled after one of His Majesty the King’s royal development initiatives named “The King’s Royally Initiated Laem Phak Bia Environmental Research and Development Project”, which was under the supervision of several agencies including the College of Environment, Kasetsart University. It embraced His Majesty’s focus on sustainability as manifest in the use of indigenous materials and simple natural methods to clean, filter, and ultimately release wastewater safely back into the ecosystem. The method involved a ‘nature-by-nature’ approach using locally-sourced plants and grass. After extensive research, the project came up with a viable model that centered on the creation of wetlands which were to act as natural buffers or as an additional filtration system between the brewery and the irrigation canal.
TAPB was the first brewery in Thailand to adopt the wastewater treatment system initiative. It envisioned making the project a role model on wastewater treatment for the community and interested parties. Involved in the project were the following personages: the brewery technical manager, the chief engineer, the brewery project manager, the corporate affairs director, the PR Manager and the CSR Manager. All team members had studied together under specialists from Kasetsart University since June 2008 to find the most suitable methods to enhance the natural method of wastewater treatment at the brewery. The brewery also hired members of the local community to look after and trim the plants, which were later used in various handicrafts. The grass was cut and used as animal feed. These initiatives offered means of generating income for the community.
From studies made, it was agreed that two systems would be adopted: the constructed wetland system, and the plant and grass filtration system. The brewery set aside a plot of land within its compound for the construction of the wastewater treatment systems.
The difference between the constructed wetland system and the grass filtration system lay in the method and duration of wastewater storage for treatment. In the former, the wastewater was continuously channeled into the treatment plot after which treated wastewater was released into the natural water source. Meanwhile, in the grass filtration system, water was funneled into the treatment plot to flood the area. The water was released to the public canal, the plot was left to dry, and the water was again released back to the system. While wastewater remained in the artificial wetland, the plants and bacteria in the soil helped absorb both organic and inorganic substances present in the wastewater as food. When the plants were fully grown, their absorption of nutrients was reduced due to their age and type. Hence, these plants needed to be trimmed and later cut to start the new loop again.
The company developed an exhibition area next to the five plots developed so that the project could be used as a case study by the other companies, for research, and to educate students on how this system could help the environment and help conserve energy.