There’s a reason that more than 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail. Changing your behavior is hard; the larger the change, the more difficult. If your goal is to be more eco friendly while drinking craft beer, there are several small changes you can make that will benefit the environment, the local economy, and you! If you want to be more eco friendly while drinking craft beer, you should…
Drink Draft
There may be something undeniably enjoyable about drinking out of a glass bottle, but a small change you can make to be more eco friendly while drinking craft beer is to drink draft beer. Draft beer is served from a keg, which are typically 15.5 U.S. gallons (or 124 American pints at 16 fluid ounces each). These kegs are typically made of stainless steel, plastic, or aluminum; plastic kegs are lightweight and recyclable, while stainless steel and aluminum are heavier but also reusable, typically returnable for reuse, or can be sold by weight as scrap. . .
If being more eco-friendly while drinking craft beer isn’t enough to persuade you to drink draft, keep in mind that draft beer is typically considered to be the “best” and freshest beer to drink (depending on the style), but if you’re not interested in being more eco friendly while drinking craft beer I’m not sure why you are reading this blog. And the best way to make sure you’re getting the freshest craft beer while being eco-friendly is to…
Shop Local
Don’t get me wrong: I love trying beer from new craft breweries from breweries near and far. However, if you’re looking to be more eco friendly while drinking craft beer, local craft breweries are the way to go. Shopping at your local craft brewery benefits the local economy as well as the environment, particularly if they use local ingredients. Beer is heavy to ship, and doing so can greatly increase the carbon footprint required to produce it. Besides, let’s be honest: you can’t get any fresher craft beer than straight from the local craft brewery. And while you’re there…
Get a Growler
Growlers are fabulous for multiple reasons. Not only do they hold 64 ounces of delicious craft beer, they are also a great choice if you’re trying to be more eco friendly while drinking craft beer. They are reusable and recyclable, and growler refills are typically the cheapest way to purchase your locally brewed craft beer (on a per ounce basis, particularly if you get refills!).
As craft beer enthusiasts, we know that some drops that are simply too good to miss are only available in cans. In that case, make sure to recycle your cans. Aluminum cans can be recycled infinitely, and craft breweries are already suffering from a can shortage. Why make it even worse? Growlers and howlers can also be recycled an unlimited number of times.
When it comes to changes you can make to be more eco friendly when drinking craft beer, these three choices are only three of many. While drinking draft, shopping local, and reusing and/or recycling your craft beer containers are small changes to make, the biggest and most impactful thing you can do is support eco friendly craft breweries, and encourage and practice environmentally friendly behaviors.