So anytime I tell people that I did a project on sustainable brewing, I have to reach back into pitch mode and sell them on the idea that beer (and any product) can be made more sustainably, using less water, gas and energy. Once people are willing to go along with me on that — remember, we’re probably holding some beers at the time — they ask how they can tell which beers are more sustainable.
At this point, I have to go into another thing — well, I’ll say, the easiest way to figure it is how far it came from and what it came in. Did you buy it from within your own county and in a reusable container? (We Greengroggers threw a party last night featuring growlers of beers from Brooklyn, where we live.) That’s the best way. But there are other things, and you should read up on your — Zzzzzz. They’re asleep.
Lucky for me, there may be a new explanation coming right up. Sapporo, the Japanese brew, is reportedly starting to use carbon footprint labeling!
From My Green Element:
According to Environmental Leader, next year, Sapporo, a Japanese beer company, will start labeling its beer bottles with the amount of carbon emissions associated with production and disposal. Japan’s Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry is working on standardizing how carbon can be measured and labeled on consumer products.
In the UK, the Carbon Trust, a government-funded independent company, is developing a similar scheme, set to launch in the coming months. According to their site, companies like Coors and Coca-Cola will add the carbon label.
Of course, I don’t believe for a second that imported cans of Sapporo will say how many pounds of carbon they’re responsible for on their way to, say, New York. But maybe it’s a start.