Growing craft brewery scene

The Lower Mainland has seen an explosion of craft breweries establishing roots in the last decade. The craft beer movement, which began in the 80’s as a reaction to beer monopolies, has resoundingly convinced many Vancouverites to frequent local breweries for unique, and delicious beers.

Hopping to help local brewers

Breweries can be environmentally friendly and save on disposal costs if the waste grain from the brewing process is given a second life as farm animal feed. Many Lower Mainland farmers and breweries have made mutually beneficial partnerships based on this – with farmers agreeing to pick-up and use the breweries’ spent grains at no cost. However, brewers like Andrew from Andina Brewing Co., and Ben from Dageraad Brewing expressed frustration with unreliable pick-up schedules when working with farmers. WCS saw an opportunity to bridge the gap between breweries needing to get rid of their waste on a tight schedule and getting a valuable feed source to farmers.

Spent grain solutions

WCS offers cost effective, reliable and consistent spent grain collection so that brewers do not have to adjust production schedules. We help breweries divert as much of their organic material as possible and even provide the option to put unusable yeast into spent grain bins. We take pride in not only providing great service but also having equipment built and modified to each customer’s needs. Our self-tippers collect spent grains from mash-tuns and then the tippers are easily transported via forklift to a WCS collection bin. WCS bins are sealed to prevent liquid escaping so concerns about storm drain and sanitary sewer contamination are eliminated.

One stop shop

Our collection services do not just end at spent grain – we are a one stop shop for recycling and recovery of all types of brewery waste. Our full list of services includes food waste composting, interceptor clean outs, and recycling of many different materials such as plastics, glass, paper, strapping, poly-woven bags, and shrink wrap. We like to problem solve and will endeavor to find a sustainable disposable option for almost every material.

Community, sustainability, and a pint

In speaking with our brewery customers it is evident that not only are they seeking to create great beer, they also want to make sure they are good to the community and the environment. Many Vancouver breweries have become thriving community hubs, commonly curating art and sustainability as part of their operations. Patrons should be proud of supporting local breweries like Andina Brewing Company, Dageraad Brewing, Beere Brewing, and Powell Street Craft Brewery.

Our brewery partners

The importance of leading the way

The Vancouver Aquarium is where education, conservation, and the beauty of this oceanside community come together. Providing a remarkable experience for its millions of visitors is a priority, as is responsibly handling waste generated by aquatic life and its facilities. As a conservation and research organization, the Aquarium strives to be a leader in optimizing environmental practices, all while maintaining fiscal responsibility.

A customized approach

Internally, interactive displays aide aquarium visitors in sorting their recyclables. In the kitchen, ‘best management’ practices help to reduce their overall waste output and properly sort recyclable materials. Even the decision-making put into purchasing considers the packaging and supplier’s environmental awareness. These practices are implemented and monitored by an entire department dedicated to minimizing the environmental impact the aquarium creates beyond their footprint within Stanley Park. Part of maximizing their environmental awareness includes a working partnership with us to find the next best home for their used materials.

Increased diversion & new recycling options

We’ve provided a one-stop-shop for all the services the Aquarium requires and have worked closely with them to achieve their goals and requirements.

To help reduce the amount of space that waste and recycling equipment takes up, we custom-built compactors for solid waste, cardboard, and organic materials – helping to reduce how frequently the containers needed to be serviced. When regulations prevented drywall from going to the landfill, we provided solutions to dispose of material that was not being mass-generated. Beyond the efficient and optimized day-to-day service, we also provide one-off collection of large or small batches of recyclable materials from temporary displays and miscellaneous projects. The ability to do drop off infrequently disposed of items like batteries, retired electronics, and soft plastics – provides the Aquarium operational and budgetary flexibility throughout the year.

Supporting an environmental leader

Seaspan’s, Vancouver Shipyards is committed to ensuring their yard operations have minimal environmental impact and share Metro Vancouver’s goal of zero waste. Vancouver Shipyard is fully committed to adhering to rigorous environmental standards and is certified in the Green Marine Environmental Program. Green Marine is an environmental certification program used by the marine industry in North America. In 2015, Green Marine added a new certification category for waste management. As their waste contractor, we were asked to help implement a more in-depth recycling and waste diversion program to work towards achieving certification in this newly-added category.

Strategies for success

We worked with Vancouver Shipyards to identify key locations around the yard with the priority of ensuring that staff had easy access to recycling streams. New stations were added and recycling culture on the property has become more prominent. As a result, workers have requested more service and are using the bins to their full capacity. We remain on hand to provide feedback, education, and services to meet the Shipyard’s needs.

Expanded services cater to business goals

Our work with Vancouver Shipyards is an example of how we can help any business maximize their diversion from the landfill. Our partnership has piloted an extensive soft plastics recycling service, going further than typical industry plastics recycling programs which start and end with hard plastics. Through our tailored service options for the Shipyards we now recycle almost all waste plastics generated. Beyond our expanded services, WCS provides data metrics for the Shipyards on their waste diversion totals. This allows for the Shipyards to assess their goals, look at cost savings, and report their success on a daily basis.