CLOSING THE LOOP

Closing the loop is the overarching goal when developing sustainable practices. The concept to break down the lifecycle of any raw material and implement steps where it is used as many times and as efficiently as possible is crucial to 78°’s commitment to sustainability.

We take a closed loop approach to as many aspects of our operations as possible, such as spent grain waste being used as stock feed. However nowhere is this approach as vital as it is in our use of water.

Our closed loop water cycle can be broken down into the following steps:

  • Water pumped from aquifer by our onsite bore
  • Water cleaned and stripped of all imputiries through Reverse Osmosis treatment plant
  • Water used in mashing
  • Waste water goes down distillery drainage
  • Solids removed from waste water
  • Waste water enters waste water treatment plant
  • Waste water ‘cleaned’ in Bio-Reactor
  • ‘Clean’ water directed to dam
  • Dam water used to irrigate orchards / strawberries / gardens
  • Water travels through ground allowing further filtering
  • Water returns to aquifer Start back at 1. (Please also note from the Waste Water Treatment Process and removal of solids that the outputs are worked into a comprehensive composting program)

“We take a closed loop approach to as many aspects of our operations as possible, such as spent grain waste being used as stock feed. However nowhere is this approach as vital as it is in our use of water. ”