The Whys from the Eco-wise

EDITORIAL_I’m often asked why manufacturers want to be green. In answer to that question, I’ll relay what many brewery business owners have said are their “whys,” in their own words:

Smuttynose Brewing Co.’s Peter Egelston and Joanne Francis: “Most of the choices we’re making are driven by common sense and a desire to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. Plus, in addition to reducing our footprint, we stand to save a good deal of money operating our new brewery sustainably.”

Bell’s Brewery’s Larry Bell: “The art of brewing is an age-old tradition that represents humans’ deep relationship with the natural environment. From the cultivation of grain and hops to fermentation, it is abundantly clear that the health of our natural envi­ronment heavily influences the craft quality of our beer.

“Sustainability is about more than caring about the Earth. It is the idea that if we are aware of how we impact our surroundings, we can act in ways that provide for economic, environmental, and so­cial benefits to ourselves (and our children) in the future.”

Harpoon Brewery’s Charlie Storey: “We are proud to call Boston our home and to do our part to build a stronger, more sustainable environment and community. As a long time tenant of the Seaport, we have seen both Boston Harbor and the Charles River transformed from their ‘dirty water’ past to one of the city’s best natural resources.”

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery’s Tim Hawn: “Our use of water can affect the community and the town’s water supplies so we always want to be really conscious of how we do it and what we do.”

Great Lakes’ Pat and Dan Conway: “Our own water resources and our ability to produce beer could be at risk. From the beginning, we’ve aspired to craft our beloved and award-winning beers in a socially and environmentally responsible way. As we continue to grow and expand, we will do so with care and respect for our products, employees, customers, and planet.”

Brooklyn Brewery’s Matt Gordon: “Sustainability has always been an important part of our brewery. Since opening a facility in a run-down neighborhood of New York City, we recognized the importance of being a leader in the community. This includes … undertaking sustainability initiatives to make sure we are doing everything we can to ensure we are minimizing our impact on the environment.”

New Belgium Brewing Co. (100 percent employee-owned): “We proudly became a Certified B Corporation in 2013, validating our long-held efforts toward being a force for good in the world.”

Hopworks’ Nate Young: “Sustainability guides all our decisions. We’re in this for the long haul.”

Grumpy Troll: “The reasons we added the solar PV system to our property are in support of alternative energy systems and to reduce our dependence on foreign oil.”

DesDeschutes Brewery: “We have lived by the words “Do your best and next time do it better” since the day our doors opened in 1988. Going the extra mile to do the right thing wherever possible is built into our standard operating procedure. As a member of our local and global communities, we take responsibility for our influence on the planet.”

Sierra Nevada: “In the early days, there was no such thing as small-scale brewing equipment. Back then, “reduce, reuse, recycle” wasn’t a catch phrase, but a business model.”

Prairie Street Brewhouse’s Chris Manuel: “We care about taking care of the environment. If we don’t take care of it, it can’t take care of us.”

Some people wonder why a business would care about anything other than the bottom line. Hopefully, these comments from some of the most successful companies reveal some insights.

Got thoughts? I’d love to hear from you. Respond below or email me at [email protected]