Beer is Green and not just on St. Patrick’s Day!
We came across two interesting pieces of information this week which makes us feel good about our beer drinking. It turns out drinking beer is environmentally friendly – whether it comes in a can or on tap.
A new Anheuser-Busch commercials highlights their aluminum can recycling program that states they recycle more than 27 BILLION aluminum cans each year. In fact, they recycle 25% more cans than they use. That’s a claim I don’t think many manufacturers can make based on their use of recycled content.
Watch the commercial click here.
At the same time, don’t feel bad about drinking from “the tap.” A June 15th, 2008 article from Beverage Industry says that “There is no question the draft beer keg is the most environmentally responsible beverage package in the brewing industry today. Think about it, the draft beer keg is returnable, refillable and recyclable. The keg fits the green profile.”
According to the article, “a draft beer keg has a service life of more than 30 years, and when you work the math, the average keg serves 180 (12 ounce) glasses and turns five times per year. This means that over the life of the keg 27,000 glasses will be served from a single keg. That’s the equivalent to 1,125 cases (12 ounce bottles or cans, 24 units).”
The keg has been around for over 300 years and it is still the most environmentally friendly beer distribution system. So whether you are are serving a new microbrew, a specialty beer or a seasonal beer – feel green about your keg party!
The article is the first time we have seen someone other than Cellulose insulation claim the title of “Greenest of the Green” but Peter Muzzonigro sticks his neck out and makes the claim for beer kegs and we applaud him for that.
However, the packaging of beer is only one side of the environmental equation albeit and important one. How does the overall beer manufacturing process impact the environment from water usage, harvesting crops and manufacturing energy usage? Unfortunately, these questions are not answered in either the Anheuser-Busch commercial nor the article on kegs.
The good news is that we can feel good about drinking beer because the beer industry is taking action to make sure that they are minimizing their post-consumer footprint.
To read the full article on beer kegs by Peter Muzzonigro click here
Cellulose Insulation Manufacturers Association
