ST. LOUIS–Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc., released its 2003 Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) report on May 14, detailing a broad range of information in regards to its annual health, safety and environmental performance.

The report focuses on the company’s overall progress in promoting excellence in environmental, health, and safety performance for its brewing, packaging, entertainment, and brewing-related operations. The dedication to excellence in EHS initiatives extends to the people of Anheuser-Busch, who continually seek to improve the company’s performance by implementing comprehensive system improvements that conserve resources and reduce waste and safety risks.

The following are a few highlights of the company’s performance and accomplishments that are included in the 2003 EHS report:

• The company reduced water usage by nearly 10 percent, electricity consumption decreased by 1 percent and overall fuel usage declined by 4 percent since 1999.

• Anheuser-Busch reduced its total injury rate by more than 10 percent compared to 2002. In addition, the company achieved a 66 percent reduction in the total injury rate compared to the baseline year in 1991.
• Through the use of new technologies in production, A-B managed to save 5.1 million pounds of aluminum, 7.5 million pounds of paperboard, and is converting hardwood and plywood pallets to more durable 100% recyclable polypropylene pallets.
• The company is the world’s largest user of bio-energy recovery system (BERS) technology. BERS is a method of pretreating the brewing-related wastewater before discharging to the local sewer system. The recovered biogas is burned for fuel at the producing brewery, providing ten percent or more of the on-site fuel needs. The technology benefits the community by freeing capacity at municipal wastewater plants and reduces the generation of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide.
• The company recycled more than 97 percent of all its solid waste generated which amounts to more than five billion pounds of material.
• Anheuser-Busch Recycling Corporation, the world’s largest aluminum can recycler, celebrated 25 years of operation in 2003 by recycling more than 750 million pounds of aluminum or the equivalent of 25.5 billion cans.
• The 2003 Budweiser Conservation Scholarship Program honored 14 college students with $10,000 for their outstanding environmental projects to help address critical conservation issues.

Since Anheuser-Busch was founded in 1852, the company has been committed to producing the highest quality products while maintaining a legacy of environmental stewardship.

“Today, more than ever, Anheuser-Busch remains focused on accomplishing a better tomorrow for the company, its employees, and the environment,” said John Stier, director of environmental affairs for Anheuser-Busch.

“We have also made tremendous strides in reducing accidents and injuries in the workplace,” said David Costello, director of corporate safety, health and risk management for Anheuser-Busch. “We will not sit back and be satisfied with the successes of last year. Instead, we are proactive and focused on making the health and safety of our employees our first priority.”

Also in 2003, the company received the prestigious Keep America Beautiful Vision Award for its overall environmental leadership. The award was possible thanks to the efforts and commitment of employees who implement Anheuser-Busch’s environmental philosophy on a daily basis.

This year, in a survey of 10,000 business leaders and securities analysts, Anheuser-Busch ranked first overall in quality of products and services among nearly 600 companies researched in FORTUNE magazine’s 2004 “America’s Most Admired Companies” listing. The company also ranked No. 1 overall in the beverage industry for the first time in 20 years, and topped our national beverage-industry peers in all the categories surveyed, including “social responsibility.”

The Internet-based report can be viewed on Anheuser Busch’s environmental Web site, www.abenvironment.com, and can be downloaded as a PDF file from that site.