Close

Craft Brew Alliance Releases 2014 Sustainability Highlights

April 22, 2015 4:22 PM EDT

Craft Brewing Company Celebrates Earth Day by Donating Proceeds of Beer Sales to Local Non-Profits and Volunteering in Neighborhood Clean-Up Efforts

PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Craft Brew Alliance, Inc. (“CBA”) (NASDAQ: BREW), a leading craft brewing company, announced today the release of its second Annual Sustainability Report. The company began publishing the report last year as part of its commitment to track and measure the impact of its sustainability efforts company wide. The 2014 Annual Sustainability Report provides an overview of the company’s sustainability priorities, programs, and community and national partnerships, as well as highlights of its progress against key annual objectives.

“As one of the largest craft brewers in the United States, we believe we have a responsibility to continue setting the standards for brewing great-tasting, high-quality craft beers in the safest, most efficient and sustainable manner possible,” said Scott Mennen, vice president of Brewery Operations for CBA. “The progress we achieved in 2014, which includes reducing our water usage to industry-leading levels, reducing our electricity usage by 13% across our breweries, and earning green restaurant certification in all of our pubs, has given every one of our employees a direct line of sight to the impact we can make through our commitment and focus on sustainability.”

2014 CBA Sustainability Report Highlights

  • Across our breweries, we reduced our water usage by more than 12%, resulting in nearly 8 million gallons of water saved. Our Portland brewery achieved an industry-leading water usage ratio – using just 3.5 gallons of water for each gallon of beer brewed, compared to the industry average ratio of 6 to 8 gallons of water used for every gallon of beer brewed.
  • We achieved our 2014 goals for reducing electricity and natural gas usage, which resulted in more than 5% in dollar savings for every barrel of beer we produced, proving that sustainability is also good for business.
  • By converting its bottling line to a dry-running conveyor system, our Woodinville, WA brewery saved more than 55,000 gallons of water last year, as well as earned the Safer Chemistry Champion award from the State of Washington’s Department of Ecology.
  • Our Portsmouth, NH brewery, which offsets all of its power with wind energy credits, installed the first free electric vehicle charging station on the New Hampshire Seacoast.
  • We continued to look for creative and innovative ways to reduce our waste, achieving a company-wide 99% diversion rate. In 2014, our Portland brewery succeeded in diverting 99.5% of our waste from landfills and earned recognition for its spent grain program that supports local farmers.

To read the full 2014 Sustainability Report, please click here.

For 2015, we will continue to focus on initiatives that reduce our dependence on key natural resources and support our commitment to sustainability. Among our priorities, we will strive to achieve a 3% reduction in energy usage across our breweries and complete an innovative project at our Portsmouth brewery to capture renewable energy from biogas.

Craft Brew Alliance Earth Day Initiatives

This year, Craft Brew Alliance is celebrating Earth Day 2015 through local events and community-building efforts across our main brewery locations. Activities include:

  • Our Portland brewery, home to Widmer Brothers Brewing, is celebrating “Brother Nature,” with a special beer, available exclusively in our pub. On April 22, 100% of the proceeds from Brother Nature Pils, along with $1 from every beer sold in the pub, will go to Oregon Wild and the Oregon Brewshed® Alliance. Additionally, our employees will be volunteering in a community cooperative gardening effort to help provide fresh produce to families in need.
  • Our Hawaii brewery, home to Kona Brewing, is inviting employees, friends and families to help clean and landscape neighboring Kona Skate Park, which provides a safe environment for youth. This volunteer effort adds to the more than 175 causes that Kona has supported in the past year.
  • Employees at our Woodinville brewery, home to Redhook Brewery in Washington, will celebrate Earth Day by planting a tree and repurposing former beer barrels to create herb gardens.
  • Our Portsmouth brewery is hosting a “Party for the Planet” clean-up effort in conjunction with the Green Alliance to support the Hodgson Brook Watershed, our local water source. The day will include a celebration in the pub, featuring live music, beer, food and raffle prizes. Attendees receive a raffle ticket for every grocery bag of trash returned.

About Craft Brew Alliance

CBA is a leading craft brewing company, which brews, brands and markets some of the world’s most respected and best-loved American craft beers. The company is home to three of the earliest pioneers in craft beer: Redhook Ale Brewery, Washington’s largest craft brewery founded in 1981; Widmer Brothers Brewing, Oregon’s largest craft brewery founded in 1984; and Kona Brewing Company, Hawaii’s oldest and largest craft brewery founded in 1994. As part of Craft Brew Alliance, these craft brewing legends have expanded their reach across the U.S. and more than 15 international markets.

In addition to growing and nurturing distinctive brands rooted in local heritage, Craft Brew Alliance is committed to developing innovative new category leaders, such as Omission Beer, which is the #1 beer in the gluten free beer segment, and Square Mile Cider, a tribute to the early American settlers who purchased the first plots of land in the Pacific Northwest.

Publicly traded on NASDAQ under the ticker symbol BREW, Craft Brew Alliance is headquartered in Portland, OR and operates five breweries and five pub restaurants across the U.S. For more information about CBA and its brands, please visit www.craftbrew.com.

Craft Brew Alliance, Inc.
Media:
Jenny McLean, 503-331-7248
[email protected]
or
Investors:
Edwin Smith, 503-972-7884
[email protected]

Source: Craft Brew Alliance, Inc.



Serious News for Serious Traders! Try StreetInsider.com Premium Free!

You May Also Be Interested In





Related Categories

Press Releases