Series 2 - A Change Brewing: Implementing Eco-Friendly Technologies

It's funny how the saying that nothing good comes easy without a fight always appears to be true. Challenges, more often than not, rears up its ugly head to confront determination, trying to cast doubt on our seemingly well-intentioned and ironclad plans. So was the situation with Julia as she sets the ball rolling on her sustainability plans. Luckily for her, she didn't kid herself for one moment that the task ahead would be as easy as taking candy from a kid. Even though the idea of transforming one of Lagos’ largest and oldest breweries with eco-friendly technologies looked nice on the PowerPoint slides, she knew that, in reality, it would be a different ball game on the brewery floor. Still, Julia was determined nonetheless that this task was achievable even in the face of adversity.

As she stood in the middle of the production floor of the Continent Brewery, Lagos, watching the magnificent steel tanks churning out thousands of liters of different types of alcoholic beverages, hearing the chaotic machinery clanging into rhythmic patterns, and inhaling the distinct, familiar scent of malt and hops, she felt like an Alpha wolf, marking out her territory as she visualized how she would overcome the tradition and inevitable resistance to implement her ideas.

Julia had scheduled today as the day to kickoff her plans for the brewery's sustainable transition to eco-friendly technologies. Her first task was to install the newly acquired water treatment and recycling system into the brewery's production process. Water, as a matter of fact, is the most essential resource in the brewing process, considering that for every liter of beer produced, between 4 and 10 liters of water are consumed by the process. For a city like Lagos, with its water scarcity challenges, this is not sustainable. Julia's closed-loop plan, which was to reclaim, treat, and reuse water, was a sustainable approach that not only conserved water resources but also saved money spent on the energy cost of pumping groundwater, which is another unsustainable approach. However, she knew that the biggest challenge was not installing the new technology but convincing the operation team, who have gotten used to the unsustainable traditional model, to embrace her idea.

Nicholas was the head engineer at Continent Brewery. He was a veteran in the brewing process, as shown by his deep-set look, which carried decades of experience. Just like everyone who holds on to the traditional way of doing things, Nicholas, over the years, has seen his own share of technological transformation of the brewery industry, and while he respects Julia for being an innovative young lady, Julia could sense he did not fully buy into what she was trying to sell him. He turned around when he heard footsteps behind him. “Morning, Julia,” he muttered grumpily. “Morning, Nicholas,” she responded cheerfully, hoping to break the ice she sensed from him. “Ready to get started?” 

Turning back to look at the old pipes running through the different production lines in the brewery and, at the same time, trying to picture the outline of Julia's blueprints sent to him about a month ago, Nicholas responded, “Look, Julia, I will be honest with you,” he said after a long pause. “I've seen a lot of systems installed in this brewery over the years. Some worked, while others didn't. I'm sure this water recycling system sounds a whole lot of good, but will it really work? What happens if production is disrupted? We have old pipes and equipment; have you considered that possibility?”

“I completely understand you, Nicholas,” she said after thinking long and hard about what he just said to her. “But I am sure a man with your years of experience also knows that change can feel risky sometimes, especially with an industry like this. This new system we are trying to install does not completely remove all that is on the ground. We want to integrate it into what you have already. The water treatment system will be retrofitted into the old pipes, ensuring that there will be no downtime at all.” “Be careful how you make such bold promises.” Nicholas chipped in raising his brow. “No downtime seems bold and overreaching.” Julia smiled. She was in mode to argue with him. She needed supporters, not rivals. “Well, let's say a little downtime, just to accommodate inconveniences.”

As the rest of the team reviewed the Green Blueprint, Julia could sense various kinds of skepticism from the different experts that make up the team. She knew that she had to balance innovation with practicality to meet each expert's expectations. “Like I have already told Nicholas earlier,” she stressed again. “We are not doing away with the old ways; we are only trying to enhance what currently works to make our processes more efficient and sustainable.”

Pointing to the plan before them, she continued, “It’s pretty much a simple concept. Water from the different stages of brewing—cleaning, cooling, and brewing—will be collected, filtered, and treated to remove impurities. So instead of discarding this into the environment, which would negatively affect it. We will recycle it back into the system for non-consumption purposes, like cleaning and cooling. This is likely to save up to 40% of water consumed.”

As this sunk into the minds of all team members, she added, “That is huge, especially for a place like Lagos where climate change and global warming have made the availability of clean water more scarce. Additionally, this system will be fully automated, resulting in minimal interference with operations.”

A smart alec on the team, Tunde, frowned at this. “I have read somewhere that these new filtration technologies are prone to filter clogs or system malfunctioning,” he uttered. “If either of these happens, we can't afford a delay in production.”

Nodding in acknowledgement to this valid point, Julia posited, “Nicely pointed out, Tunde. That is where quality assurance comes in,” she proposed. “We will run routine maintenance checks, design backup filters to automatically replace clogged ones, and rigorously pursue corrective and preventive actions to manage risk and troubleshooting incidents.” She got a few positive facial expressions. “The goal here is to implement sustainable development and reduce environmental impact to the barest minimum. This is a good way to start.”

She didn't seem to convince the whole team, as some still grapple with the idea, weighing the advantages of this innovation against the underlying risks. Julia sensed this but decided to be cautious about saying more. In her opinion, this was a delicate balance she had to maintain so as not to overwhelm them with so much information on green technology.

Just a few hours into the installation project, as Julia was working with the team, overseeing the project with the cross-functional team, Nicholas approached her, which was not uncommon. “I've been doing some thinking since the meeting in the morning," he mused. “There's been much change in the brewery industry since I started working here. The city of Lagos has equally changed from how I knew it to be. The city is growing much faster than expected, and so is the effect of global warming and climate change on it. Personally, I have never thought about the amount of water we use for our process. You've given me something to consider.” He paused for a long time as Julia waited, anticipating that there was more to come. “If this your filtration system works, this could make a whole lot of difference in the way things used to be,” he said finally.

Feeling a mixed sense of relief and accomplishment course through her veins for a brief moment, happy to have finally won over an influential supporter. “Exactly my point, Nicholas!!!” she rhapsodized, "it's not just about the brewery industry. If we can prove that eco-friendly technologies for water treatment and reuse work, other industries will follow. This is about long-term sustainability for the city.”

A month later, the filtration unit was finally online. Julia felt a sense of pride and satisfaction when she remembered how she was able to overcome the major obstacle of convincing her team to buy into her vision and plan for water reuse in Continent Brewery. As she and her newly converted team saw the first batch of recycled water flow out of the filtration system, looking crystal clear and ready for reuse in the brewing process, she savored this small but monumental victory as the first step to the big goal of a sustainable brewery industry.

By evening, the sun was setting over the Lagos skyline, casting a warm, orange hue over the brewery. Julia stood outside, taking a deep breath of the humid air. She knew this was just the beginning. The water recycling system was a key part of her green blueprint, but there was so much more to be done—renewable energy sources, waste management, cleaner production methods. Integrating all these eco-friendly technologies would be a long, complex journey, filled with more challenges and doubts.

But for now, Julia allowed herself a moment of quiet celebration. She had taken the first step, and that was something. As she watched the city lights flicker on, one by one, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of hope. Change wasn’t easy, but it was possible. And with each small step, they were brewing a future where innovation and sustainability could coexist, one drop at a time.

The challenges would continue to plague her determination, but Julia was ready to face them. After all, real change never came without a fight.

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Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.