Sleeman Breweries is Canada’s first brewery to achieve 3RCertified Gold

Sleeman Breweries' material handler, Brian Wilson, re-using air bags for truck shipments (credit: Sleeman Breweries and Recycling Council of Ontario)

3RCertified is a voluntary program originally funded by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation, and Parks that evaluates how organisations manage solid waste using pre-established criteria. Status is awarded at one of four levels based on the total number of points earned following on-site third-party evaluation.

It also helps businesses understand their waste diversion and disposal performance, and track and measure performance against goals.

“3RCertified is the only program in Canada that directly supports businesses and institutions to measure, report, and improve waste reduction and recycling practices,” said Jo-Anne St Godard, executive director, Recycling Council of Ontario. “Sleeman Breweries’ 3RCertified Gold achievement is truly exemplary. The care and attention to waste reduction efforts demonstrates their leadership and underpins the potential benefits that comes with it. They are setting an example for their industry and beyond.”

Highlights of Sleeman’s waste reduction initiatives include:

• Overall solid waste diversion rate of 98% at the Guelph brewery
• Long-term organisational commitment and strategy for sustainability practices, including annual goal setting, measurement, and audit of all waste reduction initiatives
• Wood and plastic pallets, top sheets, and tier pads are returned to the supplier at time of delivery of the next shipment
• Airbags that secure the trailer loads are refilled using an on-site air compressor for re-use
• Crown boxes and liners are offered to employees for personal use or donated to local food rescue agencies
• Used gloves are placed in receptacles throughout the facility and sent to a facility for cleaning and reuse 
• Sleeman brand glass beer bottles collected by The Beer Store are returned and reused up to 20 times each.

“Our approach to waste is to simply avoid it wherever possible,” added Dave Klaassen, vice-president of operations and logistics at Sleeman Breweries. “We are proud to offer our customers and employees the knowledge that we are taking active steps to divert as much material as possible from disposal at our Guelph facility, and look forward to continuing to meet our sustainability goals.”

Sleeman’s procurement policy also requires vendors to supply goods with minimal packaging, and accept goods for return at end-of-life for reuse and recycling.