Sustainability of craft breweries today. it is possible?
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Did you know that 56kg of carbon dioxide is emitted to produce a keg of red beer? Amount equivalent to driving 220 km in a medium-sized car, while a pint of beer is equivalent to traveling about 2km.
April 22 was the international mother earth day. Of sure much of environmentalists are celebrating this day with a good craft beer. Craft beer is a way of bringing people together no matter what language they speak.
Many pubs, bars but above all craft breweries have been built with an eye to environmental sustainability. Many entrepreneurs in the brewing field are avid composters and recyclers who prefer to use non-toxic cleaning products, prefer to buy locally when possible and, once the grain is exhausted, use it as feed for the cows or compost. There are many examples of virtuous breweries trying to reduce their environmental impact: from large plants with photovoltaics, to small businesses that experiment with revolutionary ideas for the environment that aim at quality, but also at sustainable development. The mission for this type of entrepreneurship is to recover tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) waste to prevent it from being released into the atmosphere to help preserve the Earth. There are technologies, nowadays, that can be exploited not only by individuals but also by brewers, which capture and reuse up to 50% of their CO2 waste, so as to reduce costs and produce better and more sustainable craft beer.
In any case the best thing to do is certainly to buy the raw materials locally to ensure a better sustainable production, use local cereals and hops, as for the process water, instead of being wasted, they can recovered and reused directly in the company with a considerable saving on production costs and environmental costs.
Being green can be easy, and making simple and informed product decisions during the design phase is central to the overall goal of a low-impact brewery.
We now present, briefly describing them, some breweries that embrace this cause. You can find more information by visiting our website.
-Our largest effort was our solar array. Under peak conditions the system can create up to 324 kW DC – more power than we can use on sunny days. The expansive roof is now about half covered by panels and is in full view from the rooftop bar.-
Highland brewing company (CAROLINA)
-Our entire production chain has a link with the land of Lessinia: from hops to wheat and rye. We know the value of a territory well and we are convinced that we must contribute to its maintenance. Hence the decision to adopt 100% renewable energy with an important connotation of sustainability. Which are part of the European project called Responsible Drink promoted by EKOenergy.-
Birrificio Lesster (ITALY)
-The rich natural environment that surrounds the Bright, the mountain-fed water of the Ovens River, the close proximity to the hop growing region of the Ovens Valley, and the awesome outdoor lifestyle that the region provides is why Bright Brewery exists today.-
Bright brewery (VICTORIA)
-We can’t deny that the ecosystem of our earth is out of balance today. If everyone lives as we do in the West, then eventually we will need more than one planet. That is why we limit our ecological footprint as much as possible. All electricity we buy for the brewery is 100% green, from renewable sources. And that is not the only measure we've taken.-
Duel Moortgat (BELGIUM)
-In line with our sustainable choices, the electricity used in our production plants derives 100% from the Sun through photovoltaic panels of 150 kw / h installed on the roofs of the brewery and which make the entire production sustainable and with zero impact. In fact, N'artigiana is the first beer produced with the Sun of Naples.-
Birrificio Artigianale Napoletano (ITALY)
- Environmental friendly before it was trendy. Our large solar panel array provides over 40% of our electrical needs, while 100% of our wastewater is treated and used for the irrigation of our goat pastures and estate hop fields. In addition, our spent grain is given to local cows and spent hops are used as a natural fertilizer.-
Anderson Valley Brewing Company (CALIFORNIA)
-At Anheuser-Busch, sustainability is not just related to our business, it is our business. Beer is a natural product and a healthy environment is a key ingredient in the brewing process. That's why, as the country's leading brewer, we are committed to making a meaningful impact by protecting the environment across our entire supply chain – from seed to sip – and inspiring our partners to do the same. -
Anheuser-Busch (MISSOURI)
-Left Hand Brewing strives to be an environmentally conscious company, committed to our long-term impact and reducing our carbon footprint, paired with educating our team on the importance of sustainable growth. Left Hand’s sustainability efforts are fluid and continuous, as we explore new ways to conserve resources with the- growth of our brewery.
Left Hand brewing company (COLORADO)
