KUALA LUMPUR, 2 December 2019 – Heineken Malaysia Berhad (HEINEKEN Malaysia) clinched three awards at the Sustainable Business Awards (SBA) 2019. For the second consecutive year, Malaysia’s leading brewer received the Best Water Management award, in recognition of the company’s outstanding efforts in protecting and managing water resources for production as well as beyond its business operations. HEINEKEN Malaysia also received a Special Recognition under two categories, namely Sustainability in the Community and Waste & Material Productivity.
The Best Water Management award commemorates the various initiatives by HEINEKEN Malaysia that extend beyond its immediate business operations. Through its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) arm SPARK Foundation, HEINEKEN Malaysia has established a positive reinforcement of its efforts through its three-year water stewardship agenda. HEINEKEN Malaysia was also recognised for its commitment in driving water efficiency, for which the company reduced water usage in production by 12.3% since 2014 through water optimisation efforts such as bottle washer nozzle reduction and water recovery from clean-in-place rinse.
Roland Bala, Managing Director of HEINEKEN Malaysia said, “We are delighted to be awarded and recognised for our efforts in continuously improving not only our environmental performance, but also our commitment in protecting our planet and giving back to local communities. Our wins at the SBA 2019 further encourages us to continue our holistic approach in contributing to a cleaner, greener tomorrow.”
In addition to the Best Water Management Award, HEINEKEN Malaysia received a Special Recognition for Sustainability in the Community, in recognition of the Company’s long-standing Tiger Sin Chew Chinese Education Charity Concert (Tiger CECC), which raised over RM355 million in support of Chinese schools across Malaysia over the last 26 years, and the English Enrichment Training Programme (EETP) that has trained more than 580 educators in seven states.
Renuka Indrarajah, HEINEKEN Malaysia’s Corporate Affairs & Legal Director said, “We have made conscious efforts to continuously grow with and contribute to the local community, be it through strategic partnerships for the environment and education. Through our CSR arm, SPARK Foundation, we partnered with Global Environment Centre (GEC) to build 13 rainwater harvesting systems for underprivileged communities in Sungai Penchala and Sungai Selangor, that stores up to 4 million litres of water annually, benefitting more than 6,500 people. Water is used for washing, gardening, and irrigation, which reduces stress on our water sources and this avoids wastage of treated water.”
“Meanwhile, our focus in East Malaysia is to help increase access to potable water. We are pleased to share that we have launched alternative water supply solutions such as gravity water system and rainwater harvesting system in six rural villages across Sabah, providing more than 5,000 people access to clean water,” she added.
The company was also presented with a Special Recognition for Waste & Material Productivity. In line with HEINEKEN Malaysia’s zero waste to landfill goal, the brewer invested in an on-site waste segregation area to manage its by-products and waste from production materials. In addition, a special protective cover was installed on its wastewater treatment plant to reduce odour and evaporation, an innovative solution for the environment and surrounding communities.
Led by HEINEKEN’s global sustainability strategy – Brewing a Better World (BaBW), the company strives towards fulfilling its BaBW commitments focusing on Protecting Water Resources, Reducing CO2 Emissions, Sourcing Sustainably, Advocating Responsible Consumption, Promoting Health and Safety, and Growing with Communities, in line with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Held for the second time in Malaysia, and since 2012 in Indonesia, Philippines and Singapore, SBA is organised by Global Initiatives Singapore in partnership with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Malaysia, recognising businesses with best practices in sustainability.
For more information on HEINEKEN Malaysia’s sustainability efforts, visit www.heinekenmalaysia.com and www.sparkfoundation.com.my.
