Improved Brewery Wastes Management Using Life Cycle Analysis

Abstract

Brewery is a major industrial activity in Nigeria from which wastes are generated. The present global attention on effective wastes management in the sector has compelled the country to embrace aggressive research methods on this essential subject matter. This has therefore been the impetus for this study to use the Cradle-to-Grave section of Life cycle analysis in the ISO 14040 for investigation of improved wastes management in a Nigerian brewery. In the study, emissions associated with brewery were identified and quantified to determine the releases into air, water and land. Materials use, use of energy, wastes and by-products generation as well as physical size from the sector were also determined for wastes management. The study shows that intensiveness of energy and water consumption in brewery industry during productions could cause large emissions that may have negative effects on the environment. Agreement of the material inputs and outputs in the study at about 99.6% level indicates that the adopted method can be of great help in solving wastes management problems in the brewery.