How to drink beer more sustainably

More breweries are becoming eco-friendly, with commitments to reduce carbon emissions, use sustainable and renewable energy, raw materials sourced locally, improve waste reduction and recycling processes, and so on. This is great, but what can YOU do as a consumer? Here are a few tips.

To help reduce carbon emissions from transportation, the first step is to choose beer brewed locally. By cutting out transport, you are also likely to avoid old beer due to long travel and potential exposure to extreme temperatures in bad storage conditions. This is a major win as aged beer can take on a stale character and wet cardboard-like taste – not pleasant!

Even better, take the opportunity to visit your local breweries and enjoy some beers in their taproom, where they use refillable kegs and serve beer in reusable glassware. You’ll also be showing your support for the breweries and boosting the local economy. And remember, beer is actually best enjoyed fresh, straight from the source.

If possible, choose an organic beer brewed with local ingredients, from an eco-friendly brewery that’s committed to helping save the planet. So how do you know if the brewery is in fact eco-friendly and using local produce? Well, do your research, check their website and the packaging, ask when you visit, or shoot them an email.

What else can you do? Choose cans as they are more environmental-friendly. If you consume beer at home, make sure to drink it before the expiry date – wasting beer is never good and you don’t want to pour it out just because it’s gone bad. And, of course, recycle any bottles and cans. Or you can brew your own beer, using local ingredients, and enjoy in the comfort of your home.