Water Stewardship & Packaging: Why Heineken is Sustainable

Operating in more than 190 countries worldwide, Heineken is a leading beverage company with a portfolio of more than 300 popular brands.

As a brewing company, its operations can have environmental impacts across its value chain, including with water use and packaging waste.

Its 2030 Brew a Better World strategy contains its sustainability ambitions and outlines how it plans to drive down its emissions.

Heineken has been named 51st in Sustainability Magazine’s Top 250 World’s Most Sustainable Companies 2025.

Brew a Better World strategy

In 2021, Heineken launched its Brew a Better World 2030 strategy.

This aims to address sustainability challenges the company may face while making progress towards a net zero, fairer and more balanced future.

The company’s environmental goals include reaching net zero carbon across its value chain by 2040.

It aims to reach net zero Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030 and reduce Scope 3 FLAG (forest, land and agriculture) emissions by 30% and non-FLAG by 25% by 2030.

In 2024, Heineken achieved a 34% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions, a 23% reduction in Scope 3 FLAG emissions and an 11% reduction in Scope 3 non-FLAG emissions versus its 2022 baseline.

Joanna Price, Heineken’s Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, says: “Four years into developing and executing our Brew a Better World 2030 strategy, sustainability and responsibility are now an integral part of how we operate. 

“I am proud of the progress we’ve made but I know there is more for us to do as we navigate challenges and trade-offs.

“Brew a Better World remains the foundation as we continue to learn, evolve and partner with others to deliver our goals.”

Heineken is also aiming to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels, with the goal of using 100% renewable electricity for both its on-site electricity generation and purchased electricity by 2030.

This builds into its net zero targets, supporting the company on its journey to improve its impact on the environment.

Tackling water scarcity 

According to UNICEF, four billion people experience severe water scarcity for at least one month each year – almost two thirds of the world’s population.

Water stewardship is a key focus for Heineken, especially in agriculture, which makes up nearly 90% of the company’s water footprint.

It is working towards 100% sustainably sourced ingredients, including barley and hops. By reducing water use and treating wastewater from its farming activities.

The company aims to fully balance its water use in water-stressed areas by implementing nature-based solutions such as land conservation and ecosystem restoration.

Its target is to replenish 1.5 litres of water to local watersheds for every litre of beer the company sells.

Sonia Thimmiah, Senior Director, Global Sustainability at Heineken, said on LinkedIn: “For Heineken, water is essential to our products: without water, there is no beer.

“By adopting a value chain approach, we aim to address water not only in our own operations but also within communities where we operate and upstream with our suppliers.”

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Heineken’s circular strategy

Packaging accounts for the largest share of Heineken’s Scope 3 carbon emissions.

This is why the company is working on transitioning to a circular economy, to reduce its reliance on finite resources and cut down waste.

It is committed to making 99% of its packaging fully recyclable by design by 2030.

This involves procuring packaging materials that are designed to fit into existing recycling streams, which rescues waste to landfill by consumers.

To reach its circularity goals, Heineken aims to increase the volume of closed-loop recycled content in its packaging, which includes advocating for closed-loop recycling streams.

It is collaborating with its value chain to create a stream of used beverage cans for its suppliers, increasing the lifespan of its products.

The company’s reusable packaging is designed with a careful balance of convenience, attractive design and sustainability, in order to appeal to customers while improving Heineken’s environmental footprint.

Magne Setnes, Chief Supply Chain Officer at Heineken, said on LinkedIn: “Transitioning to a circular economy is a must if we plan to be here for many more generations to come.

“Our breweries around the world seek to recycle or even ‘up-cycle’ any by-products from their operations, such as, among others, brewers spent grain, yeast, paper, glass, etc., in order to not bring waste to landfill.”

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