Sustain Me with Beer

Craft brewers around the country have always been in the forefront of taking positive steps towards sustainability and eco-friendly practices in how they run their operation.

For the consumer, it’s not always as easy to know the steps we can take to make a difference. Fortunately, there are a variety of ways you can drink more eco-responsibly.  

Go with Growlers

Many local breweries offer growler filling on site, which means you can get fresh beer straight from the source. Growlers are 32-oz or 64-oz reusable glass or metal bottles which can be filled directly from the facility that brewed it. Unlike pre-packaged beer, many breweries also offer a wider variety of limited, experimental and small-batch offerings, which they may not plan to send out to distribution. Most breweries charge an initial deposit for the actual container, but then they can be refilled over and over again. By reusing these containers, you get super-fresh beer and minimize the need for single-use packaging that ends up in a landfill. It’s a win-win.

Local Breweries

With over 7,500 registered breweries in the U.S., most Americans have a brewery close to home. By supporting these breweries, you’re supporting not just the local economy and jobs, but also the distribution system that’s closer to home.  If the beers are brewed down the street, the supply chain is shorter. Less energy and fuel is used to transport the beer and keep it cold through the whole process. For popular local brands, you’ll likely get fresher product too, which is a bonus.

Sustainable Breweries

Local doesn’t always mean better. There a lot of national and regional breweries who have remained steadfast in implementing sustainable brewing practices. Many of these breweries are completely wind or solar powered; they recycle carbon dioxide, and collect steam from the boiling process to reuse in other parts of the brewery. Some even grow their own hops or grain and cultivate their own honey. Sierra Nevada, New Belgium, Uinta, Rogue and Brooklyn Brewery, all available in South Florida, are leaders in the industry. Some breweries not yet available here earn honorable mentions in this category: Odell, Alaskan, Ninkasi, Hardywood and Allagash.

Draft Beer

Who doesn’t love being served a freshly poured pint, in the proper glass, with a beautiful head? It’s a true beer-drinking experience. Aside from the aesthetics and taste, draft beer is also a very sustainable practice compared to packaged beer. When a brewery buys a metal keg, they will use it hundreds – maybe thousands – of times. Like the growler on a commercial scale, the keg is filled, sent to bars and restaurants, consumed, and the empty keg is sent back to the brewery through the supply chain. It’s then cleaned, sanitized and refilled. Packaged beer, on the other hand, requires labels, boxes, glues, inks, caps, bottles, cans and more that requires a lot of energy to create. Although much is recyclable, plenty ends up in landfills. If you have the choice, draft over bottle is the right call.

Recycling Practices

Yes, recycling is important! This is a no-brainer, of course, but make sure you’re doing it right. Many breweries offer recyclable bottles or cans, but do take the necessary steps to ensure they can be processed at the facility and don’t create recycling contamination. Place bottles where they belong and not into a mixed paper recycling bin. Rinse your containers. If a bottle or can has a plastic label, remove it before placing into the bin. Make sure the can carrier or bottle holder is recyclable as well. Follow the directions of your recycling outlet and read the packaging.  
Mother Nature offers the perfect place to enjoy a beer. It seems only fair that we do our part to drink as eco-friendly as possible and keep our favorite taproom looking nice. Metal kegs like these are used over and over again, saving on packaging.