Beer firm on big drive to be eco-friendly

SCOTTISH craft beer brewer BrewDog has explained how it plans to maintain a strong eco-friendly focus.

The Aberdeenshire-based company says it has five key areas to help create a better planet for us all – powered by the people.

The brewer and pub chain has cut its electricity use by 43% and water consumption by 55% in recent years.

BrewDog also plans to achieve net-zero production emissions from its Ellon plant by 2023.

A £12 million investment at the site will convert brewing waste into bioenergy that can be used to power the brewery, fuel vehicles, feed excess gas back into the grid and cut
water consumption by a third.

The firm claims it has plans to plant more than 1.1m native trees and restore peatland in 9308 acres of the Highlands to avoid CO2 being released into the atmosphere.

Visitors will also have the opportunity to camp, hike and explore the area being dubbed the Lost Forest.

Meanwhile, electric trucks are being introduced to the fleet wherever possible and BrewDog is working with its distribution partners to use its green biomethane to power vehicles, too.

Adopting an “every day is Earth day” philosophy, the company says it is working to embed sustainability into its business and ensure that every team member strives to cut emissions.

BrewDog cites examples from prioritising vegan and vegetarian dishes in its bars to heightened sustainability standards for its supply chain.

The brewer claims it is in tune with shoppers’ desires over sustainability.

A YouGov survey it commissioned found 67% of UK consumers said the issue was important to them when choosing food and drink, and 70% would be more likely to buy beer made in a sustainable way – making such customers important to c-store retailers.

But as the cost-of-living crisis worsens, there is some tension over the affordability of green products. Some 66% want to be environmentally friendly buyers but feel the onus is on brands to ensure they’re not hit in the pocket.

BrewDog highlights its Lost Lager as a great example of what it is doing to help consumers and sustainability.

The German-style Pilsner is a 4.5%ABV lager brewed
using wind power, a third less water than might be usually expected and would-be waste bread in the malt bill.

BrewDog brand and marketing director Lauren Carroll said: “Sustainability has always been important to us and we are determined to rapidly and fundamentally change the way we work as we aspire to set a new global standard.

“We are just part of the way through our sustainability
journey but we strive to do our best and encourage other businesses to join us.

“Ensuring we and future generations have a planet to brew and sell beer on is the single biggest focus of BrewDog.”