The ambition of Vet & Lazy is to go zero waste. Although that’s easier said than done, steps are already being taken to achieve this goal. “We’re developing a new cooling system through which we can collect our cooling water for reuse.” Ruben explains, “This is very important because water is the number one waste stream flowing from the brewing process.”

In addition to reusing the cooling water, Vet & Lazy collaborate with other BlueCitizens to repurpose their residual streams. “Lori Goff, based in the BlueCity Lab, is developing an alternative for single use plastics with our brewery effluent.” Ruben says. This material is called UnPlastic: a compostable plastic-like material. Another interesting stream is the hundreds of liters of carbon dioxide that is released during fermentation. “We’re currently developing a system that can capture and clean the carbon dioxide so that we can redirect it to Spireaux who can use it to grow algae.” Ruben states.

Although the circular mentality of using one entrepreneurs’ waste stream as a resource for the other is a no brainer for BlueCitizens, Vet & Lazy also take this mindset outside of the building and into the supply chain: “We recently started a project in which we sell our bostel to a supplier who uses it as a soil improver to grow grains on.” Ruben illustrates, “we’d like to buy grains at that same supplier to close the loop again.”

It’s cool to see that products that normally end up in the bin, can be used to make tasty beers.

Interview with Ruben Krommenhoek of Vet & Lazy