Brewing for the better: How your drinking habits could be more sustainable

Production and consumption of alcohol have an immense impact on the environment, something many brewers and drinkers fail to consider

Climate change has become an inescapable topic of discussion. Now more than ever, we are being called on to incorporate sustainability measures into our everyday behaviour. From independent businesses to global corporations, institutions are being urged to consider how further damage to the environment can be avoided. Although the future effectiveness of global sustainability endeavours is somewhat unknown, those passionate about being environmentally-conscious continue to urge for further action. 

The production and consumption of alcohol has enormous ramifications on the environment. Breweries and distilleries require significant amounts of natural resources and energy to mass-produce their products. From fertilising hops with water to the energy needed to keep the lights on in a commercial brewery, unsustainable practices leave a stain on mother nature. Consumer consumption also contributes to this, through the environmental impact of packaging and delivering alcohol to retailers.

A person’s drinking habits not only impact the environment, but their own health. This makes it important to regularly monitor how much and how often we drink. But what goes into a person’s drinking decisions? What factors prompt people to cut back on the booze?

Picture: Small Beer Brew Co

A survey produced by Dry, sent to a random cross-section of people living in the UK, found the most common factors that prompt a person to drink less are physical and mental health, a negative experience while drinking and work or study commitments. However, just 6.9% of respondents said they consider the environmental impact of alcohol when making decisions related to their drinking. 

The reason for this is unclear, but increased awareness of the environmental impact of drinking and an introduction to sustainable brewing may help guide consumers to be more conscious of their drinking habits and choices. 

35-year-old Felix James has been brewing for 16 years. Originally from Shropshire in the West Midlands, James settled in London to work at a commercial brewery while studying Biology at Imperial College. Having always been fascinated with fermentation, James joined the industry in the hopes of one day establishing his own brewery. 

“I started out brewing commercially for Budweiser as a way to get my foot in the door,” he says. “After Budweiser, I spent time working for Fullers, before moving to Sipsmith Gin Distillery and joining the corporate world as Head of Operations.” James was taken aback by the level of waste in the drinks industry. “Myself and my business partner James Grundy, who I met at Sipsmith, were shocked in terms of the use of natural resources and the amount of wastage we saw present throughout the industry – from production to consumption.”

James and Grundy co-founded Small Beer Brew Co in 2017 and, since opening, it has become one of the UK’s most sustainable breweries. 

Picture: Small Beer Brew Co

The idea for the company came from the desire to fill a gap in the market for beer. All the beers are less than 2.8% ABV and are therefore considered “small beers”. However, SBBC’s commitment to not taking natural resources for granted is what separates them from other independent brewers.

“If you set up a business in this day and age, it’s ridiculous to think that you can get away with harming the planet,” says James. If you’re producing beer, you are making some emissions in the process, but our production process is mitigating emissions as much as is feasible.” 

SBBC uses 100% renewable energy in its brewery: All electricity is from wind, water, solar power and biogas from anaerobic digestion. Waste solids and liquids from the brewing process are sent to a local anaerobic digester for a fully circular energy system. The company is facilitating sustainability in the consumption of its products too – wherever possible, it uses packaging from recycled and recyclable materials and places pressure on suppliers to meet its eco-friendly expectations.

Small Beer Brew Co has, in essence, revolutionised the brewing process itself. “The amount of water wasted in breweries and distilleries is colossal. Both are also extremely energy intensive,” James explains. “In your typical brewery, to brew one litre of beer you use 8-10 litres of water. That’s just for producing the beer. Brewing alcohol on a large scale typically requires a huge volume of water for cooling. Then, all that water just goes straight down the drain – perfectly drinkable – totally wasted. It’s an absolute travesty in my mind.”

Picture: Small Beer Brew Co

Dissatisfied with such extreme levels of wastage, James committed to ensuring his brewery did better. Aware of the fact his home brewing kits never required so much water, James reconstructed his own design on a larger scale for SBBC. This has resulted in a brewing process that requires just one and a half litres of water for every litre of beer produced.

“Typically, a brewer is in full wet weather gear, with wellies on, a hose in one hand and constantly flushing water down the drain. My brewing gear is trousers and a shirt,” he says.

James and SBBC willingly share its kit design with neighbouring breweries to encourage them to minimise their environmental impact. Sustainable breweries are on the rise across the industry, but the challenge is increasing awareness and exposing them to a broader base of consumers. Some Nordic countries are trying to do just that. 

According to a 2014 study produced by Nordic Alcohol Monopolies, Nordic countries are leading the way in terms of being conscious of the environmental impact of alcohol. Comparatively, UK consumers have some catching up to do and it starts with unearthing and supporting sustainable brewers, like the team at Small Beer Brew Co. 

Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland and the Faroe Islands make up the Nordic Alcohol Monopolies. These monopolies are the state-sanctioned suppliers of alcohol to retailers, meaning alcoholic drinks of a certain ABV can only be supplied to retailers via one of these monopolies. Alko Oy supplies retailers in Finland with all alcoholic drinks above 5.5% ABV, except for microbrewery beers and Finnish farm wines.

Picture: Small Beer Brewing Co

36-year-old Maiju Sirviö is Alko Oy’s Sustainable Development Specialist. Based in Helsinki, Maiju coordinates and develops the company’s ​​climate and environmental work. “I work with other Nordic monopolies to promote the sustainable production of alcohol,” she says. “Across Nordic countries, people are very aware of the need to minimise the environmental impacts of alcohol production and are very open to new initiatives or ideas from us.” For example, she explains that 46 per cent of the impact of wine production comes from packaging. “So, it really matters what packaging consumers choose.”

Sirviö says the most important part of her job is facilitating responsible distribution and consumption of alcohol and offering consumers “the opportunity to make sustainable product choices”. This starts by working together with suppliers and producers “to promote sustainable production of alcoholic beverages”.

One of these producers just so happens to be Small Beer Brew Co, who have become very popular in Finland. James says, “The work Alko Oy and the other Nordic state monopolies do is terrific and really helps to empower consumers to make more informed purchasing decisions.”

So, for anyone out there with a green thumb, now’s your chance to evaluate your drinking habits and see if you can make them more sustainable – not only for yourself, but for the environment too.

Illustration: Amy-Rose Holland, Picture editor: Charlotte Doyle

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