How can craft brewers improve sustainability?

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As in every field, various developments have been experienced in the fields of recycling, and sustainable production in beer production. Although it is a difficult process to make sustainable products and be environmentally friendly. It has become an indispensable point due to the limited resources with the increasing awareness of the consumer. You can find the most basic actions that can be done and can be done in this regard.

Plastic-free or recycled beer packaging

Generally speaking, beer can be found in a standard green or brown 12-ounce bottle, or even a larger one, in standard plastic six-pack ring cans or draft beer. These are some of the basic beer packaging options encountered in the beer industry in the past and even today. Moreover, the use of plastic for six annular beer packaging that can hold six beer cans together has to stand somewhere. Especially since it has no environmental benefit.

Apart from the plastic six-pack ring, not using plastic from beer bottles, and making bottles and labels from recycled glass and aluminum materials are methods that will make great contributions to sustainability. Also, the production of beer bottles from recycled paper has begun to be tried by companies.

The biggest reason to start this recyclable packaging initiative is to reduce ocean pollution. Ocean pollution is the result of plastic accumulating on the ocean’s shore due to the six-pack rings made of plastic used in beer packaging. The six-pack ring is one example of ocean-polluting packaging. For this reason, new initiatives have started to use more environmentally friendly recycled materials instead of using plastic in packaging.

Reclaimed fruit beers

While there are many citrus beer products promoted each year. The use of recycled fruits and vegetables in brewing can lead to waste reduction in a way that unites the food and beverage industries.
Also, when it comes to alcohol consumption, consumers who want to experiment often look for different flavors. Mixing these preferences with the fact that consumers are conscious of their purchasing decisions.

Plastic exchange beer payments

Although there are countries in the world where plastic and cans are recycled, it is not yet a common practice all over the world. For this reason, paying customers for the recycling of beer packaging wastes is a great option for reducing and recycling waste. Although it has not been practiced so far outside of a few companies such as Corona.

Edible beer labels

While edible beer labels are a small step towards recycling and sustainability. Their impact will be greater than expected when considering the beer consumed around the world.
Also to adding value to the beer by providing an extra snack, edible beer labels have the potential to affect the way people enjoy a beer if consumed side by side.
Whether the label was created to cut waste, many consumers with sustainable ideas are now interested in innovative designs that do more than identify the unique qualities of a product.

Repurposed beer grains

Instead of discarding used grains after their brewing process, they can be turned into bars filled with organic and nutritious ingredients that can be consumed as a snack.
As spent grains serve as the main food source, the grains are baked and infused with added sweet flavors. Bars make a delicious, sweet, and savory snack that is both delicious and sustainable.
Apart from food, it is also possible to make organic fertilizers from used grains. In this way, while supporting organic agriculture, can also contribute to sustainability in food production.

Coaster-integrated beer bottles

When it comes to sustainability, no step is too small. In case the beer labels are a coaster, all the paper used for coasters will be saved. While there are companies that put in place it, there will be a real impact and transformation if there is a trend all over the world.

Rainwater beers

While our access to water resources was restricted by global warming, we saw that these resources are not infinite. Due to the high consumption of water in beer production, the reclaimed rainwater and its use in beer production are one of the biggest contributions brewers can make to the world.
Also, rainwater gives a different character to the beer. Malt flavors in particular stand out and create a particularly smooth palate.

Reclaimed wastewater beer

Reclaimed wastewater reuse has emerged as a viable solution to some of the world’s biggest water problems. Multinational companies continue to use recycled wastewater as an ingredient in food and beverage products.
But, small brewers have started working to integrate this approach into their production processes. This is an important step for both reducing costs and for sustainable production.

Brewed with renewable energy

Many breweries today are setting up renewable energy generation, and luckily they also like to talk about it for this exercise. Making your renewable energy production public is not only great PR for a brand. But it can also lead other breweries to make informed decisions about energy while following industry leaders. Also, the use of renewable energy helps reduce the consumption of fossil fuels. This is already proven harmful to the world and our environment.

CO2 reclamation

Brewers have long been aware of the irony of discharging CO2 produced in the fermentation process as waste and then having to buy it for carbonated beers. Breweries are looking for other ways to recycle, reduce and recapture CO2 for a long time. This is a financial and operational as well as an environmental challenge that should be on the radar of all brewers.

On a small scale, it was difficult to install full CO2 recovery systems. It was the job of larger brewers, with funds to invest millions of dollars into the technology.
But now brewers are taking innovative steps to reuse the carbon dioxide released in the brewing process. They are looking around the world for small-scale systems and inspiration.