Ardagh Group Hosts Sustainable Brewing & Packaging Event

BOB recently hit the road for an event he’d been working on with the North Carolina Craft Brewers Guild. The Sustainable Brewing & Packaging event was hosted at the Ardagh Group glass manufacturing facility in Wilson, N.C.

Craft breweries from across North Carolina, government agency officials, and representatives from supply chain businesses gathered to discuss sustainability and recycling initiatives in the craft brewing industry.

Josh Brewer, Brewmaster at Mother Earth Brewing, joined Larry Lane, Owner/Brewer of Double Barley Brewing, and Kate Binder, Sustainability Specialist from Bell’s Brewery, for a panel discussion on sustainability practices at their breweries.

From energy-efficient installations to composting programs in taprooms, the breweries shared ideas with other brewers that can yield big savings while reducing environmental impact.

Brewery sustainability panel featuring Mother Earth Brewing, Double Barley Brewing, and Bell’s Brewery at Ardagh Group’s Wilson NC glass facility
From left to right: Larry Lane (Double Barley Brewing), Josh Brewer (Mother Earth Brewing), and Kate Binder (Bell’s Brewery).

“With a name like Mother Earth, you can’t just talk the talk, you have to walk the walk,” said Brewer. “We have a 6-kilowatt solar array that generates enough power to offset 100% of our taproom electricity 24/7, as well as some other areas of our facility.”

Mike Green, Business Development Specialist for the State of North Carolina, Division of Environmental Assistance, spoke about brewery recycling programs and the value of regional consolidation partnerships. By pooling materials such as grain bags, hops bags, cardboard, and stretch wrap, breweries can save money and streamline recycling.

Representing the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, Wendy Worley, Recycling and Materials Management Section Chief, highlighted that North Carolina is home to more than 16,000 private-sector recycling jobs, with over 650 businesses dedicated to recycling — including Strategic Materials, represented by panelist Bill Clark, Regional Sourcing Development & Clean Glass Initiative Manager.

Chad Beane, Solid Waste Division Manager for Moore County Public Works, whose program was identified by Bill Clark as a statewide model, discussed Moore County’s success creating a local aggregation site for glass recycling. The initiative allows residents, bars, and restaurants to recycle glass containers, which are processed by Strategic Materials and shipped to Ardagh Group’s Wilson facility to be made into new bottles.

Recycling and sustainability panel featuring Ardagh Group, NC Department of Environmental Quality, Strategic Materials, and Moore County Public Works
From left to right: John T. Shaddox (Ardagh Group), Wendy Worley (NC Department of Environmental Quality), Bill Clark (Strategic Materials), and Chad Beane (Moore County Public Works).

“Ardagh Group is proud to be a member of the North Carolina Craft Brewers Guild and to collaborate with local breweries,” said Clint Gawart, Vice President of Sales for Ardagh Group’s North American Glass division. “With more than 300 breweries and brewpubs in the state, Ardagh Group is proud to manufacture quality, sustainable glass bottles in Wilson, supporting the needs of the North Carolina craft beer community.”

BOB had a wonderful time at the event. If you didn’t get a chance to attend this year, keep an eye out for future events like this one coming to your area.

Cheers!
BOB

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