INVEST IN OUR PLANET: Earth Day Activities for Adults
Earth Day 2022 is here! This is the 52nd anniversary of the formal celebration, which began on April 22, 1970. This annual event is celebrated globally to support environmental protection. This year’s Earth Day theme is: “Invest in Our Planet.”
At Prestige Haus, we focus on the beer, wine, and spirits industry. So for this article, we are going to focus specifically on this market sector. Did you know that there is much that is being done to reduce carbon emissions and provide a greener footprint in this growing industry? We are excited to share with you the many ways the alcohol industry is “going green.”
Scroll down if you’re looking for a list of ethical consumer brands you can try. Our list is awesome!
Earth Day began as fully American, but it’s now a global cause.
Earth Day was first pitched by peace activist John McConnell in 1969 at a UNESCO conference in San Francisco. His idea was to celebrate April 21st, the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere.
A month later, U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson proposed an idea for a nationwide environmental teach-in that would be held on April 22, 1970. Nelson was inspired to action after three million gallons of oil spilled into the ocean off the coast of Santa Barbara, California, in 1969. Senator Nelson hired a young activist named Denis Hayes to oversee the national event, and it was Hayes who renamed the event “Earth Day.”
Denis Hayes remained committed to the cause. In 1990, he took the global event and organized events in 141 nations. In many ways, the Paris Climate Accords, which was signed on Earth Day in 2016, was a natural progression from the actions that first found roots in San Francisco in 1970.
How is the beer & liquor industry reducing its carbon footprint?
Alcohol production requires a lot of resources and energy to produce and transport to your kitchen. Fruit, wheat, barley, hops, sugar, grapes, and other natural resources need to be grown to produce your favorite beverages. But these crops use a lot of water (and often pesticides) to cultivate.
The brewing and fermenting process requires energy for heating. It also requires large amounts of water as part of the process. (It takes three to seven barrels of water to make one barrel of beer.) Furthermore, there is a great deal of waste that is produced as part of the production—waste that, historically, ends up in a landfill near you.
All those drinks have to be packaged in some way, from bottles to cans and plastic connectors, labels, and boxes. The products then need to be transported, which requires gasoline. After you drink your beverage, there is an additional waste if you throw the bottle away.
Needless to say, there are many steps in the manufacturing process that contribute to global warming. Thankfully, many manufacturers are taking steps to more ethical and environmentally sustainable processes. Ultimately, these will reduce the footprint of the industry on the Earth.
"Brewing is an incredible industry filled with passion and craftsmanship—but we have to face the fact that we're a water-intensive industry,” said Dan Bronson, General Manager at Single Cut Brewing Company (Queens and Clifton Park, New York). “We really try to focus on the little things we can directly impact--a big one for us is recycling. We have dedicated specialty recycling receptacles for all of our guests to recycle Pack Teks (the 4pk holders' craft beers often arrive in) and recycling for HDPE plastic bags."
Other manufacturers are implementing other ideas along the lines of reducing – Reuse – Recycle. For instance, Ketel One’s distillery is building a distillery that uses a traditional Dutch windmill. The electricity generated by the windmill is supplemented by solar panels and electric bikes; excess power is sold back to the power grid.
Such large-scale ideas aren’t just for big-name brands, either. Microbreweries and independently-owned wineries are adopting strategies for big changes. For example, Brown’s Brewing Company (Troy and Walloomsac, New York) is looking to implement a nitrogen generation system. “Nitrogen, used for tank purging, cleaning kegs, and centrifuging, would be used in place of CO2, which we currently buy in bulk,” said owners Gary and Kelly Brown. “The system converts a compressed air supply into 95-99.999% purity, compressed nitrogen. Utilizing nitrogen for purging and cleaning tanks will reduce the need to purchase, transport, and use CO2 in the production process. Brown’s will eliminate the need to order 51,500 lbs. of CO2 annually, reducing emissions by 25.8 tons.” This work is in addition to incorporating hydropower at one of the brewery’s taprooms in North Hoosick, NY.
In support of all these innovations and moves towards eco-friendly brewing, consumers are fully on board. In a 2018 study, Indiana University found that the “majority of beer consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable beer.”
Celebrate Earth Day with these consumer ideas
It seems like Earth Day is a holiday that we encourage children to learn about and celebrate, but adults sometimes take a back seat. However, there are so many ways that grownups can get involved and participate! Here are a few ideas:
- Clean up your neighborhood. Whether you live on a rural street or in an urban area, there’s a good chance that your street needs a springtime trash pickup. Alternatively, there might be a park nearby that could use an hour of your time. Don some thick, plastic gloves and a trash bag, and get to work! It costs you almost nothing and makes a big impact on your local community. Plus, you’ll be a hero to your local birds and chipmunks.
- Commit to buying fewer plastic and Styrofoam cups. Styrofoam is a real environment killer. It’s hard to recycle (most municipalities don’t do it), and it breaks down into toxic little balls in the ocean, killing millions of aquatic animals. And if it ends up in a landfill, where some estimates say that Styrofoam takes up an astonishing 30%, it takes at least 500 years to break down. Plastic red solo cups are better, but not by much. Red solo cups are made from polystyrene (plastic #6), which takes 450-1,000 years to break down. Furthermore, plastic #6 isn’t accepted by recycling facilities because of the chemicals it contains. This year, commit to using better drinkware. Bring your own coffee mug into your favorite store for a morning coffee fill-up. And shop our selection of awesome glassware for an environmentally friendly drinking solution!
- Swap out your disposable household products for reusable ones. Consider swapping out your plastic grocery bags for reusable ones. Other good options are reusable paper cloths instead of paper towels and multi-use sandwich bags instead of single-use.
- Think about your diet and where your food comes from. Search out and buy your food from ethical sources. One of the biggest environmental killers is transportation, so make an effort to buy your fruit, veggies, and meat from local farms. Farmer’s Markets, local co-ops, and local butcher shops are great places to find locally-grown food. How do you know if a meat product is ethically sourced? Look for labels that say “pasture-raised” or “Certified Humane/Certified Animal Welfare Approved.”
- Buy locally-produced spirits! The entire United States has experienced a boom in the micro-brewery, winery, and distillery industry. There’s a good chance that there’s a local manufacturer near you. You might be able to find these products at your local grocery store. Buying local helps keep your money in your community. Plus, it makes a huge difference in terms of climate-killing transportation costs. For bonus eco points, buy a growler and fill it up again and again!
Awesome Green(er) Brands to Try
We are a website dedicated to the beer, wine, and spirits industry, after all. So we would be remiss if we didn’t offer up some brands that are doing a great job cutting down on their greenhouse gas emissions. Search these brands out and support them! I mean, you’re going to drink a beer anyway, right? You might as well drink a beer that’s making a point to be environmentally friendly!
Don’t forget that buying locally is always the best place to start when looking to reduce your environmental footprint!
Wicked Weed Brewing is the manufacturer of Appalachia Session. The brewery has an internal committee that meets to discuss all the ways they can help the environment. To start, they’re collaborating with Keep America Beautiful® and the South Appalachian Highlands Conservancy to plant 5000 Red Spruce-Frasier Fir seedlings (2021). They also work to protect nature preserves near their distillery. Furthermore, 100% of their electricity to brew, package, and ship is offset by renewable electricity projects. They have also implemented tools to reduce the amount of water they use.
Ninkasi Brewing’s sustainability initiatives include designing a LEED® Certified brewery facility, using solar power to generate electricity, and using locally sourced water and ingredients. They also have recycling programs and the Beer is Love donations program that supports local nonprofit organizations.
Brown’s Brewing Company has renovated two historic buildings into taprooms instead of building new ones. They use solar thermal panels and energy-efficient lighting in their facilities. They have an anaerobic digestion system to treat leftover water. Ingredients are sourced locally whenever possible, and spent grain is distributed to local farmers as livestock feed. They plan to introduce hydro power to their Walloomsac Taproom and incorporate a nitrogen generation system for purging, cleaning, and centrifuging.
Anderson Valley Brewing Company
This brewery sources its water from 10 onsite wells and treats the water on-site as well. After brewing, leftover water is treated and discharged back into the water table. They generate their power partly from solar power, with plans to expand their existing arrays. They installed a nitrogen generator that harvests nitrogen gas from the ambient air. The brewery then uses nitrogen in place of CO2 for product gas. Also, they use recycled packaging and eliminated plastic six-pack rings.
WINE
This winery has been widely recognized by the industry for its longstanding environmental commitment. When growing their grapes, they have three farming tiers: certified sustainable, organic, and Biodynamic. By 2000, all four of their Sonoma County estate vineyards were certified Biodynamic. This tier of farming eliminates chemicals and factors in natural forces that affect the vine, such as soil fertility, canopy management, natural resource management, irrigation, disease, pest management, etc. As such, they’ve incorporated 30 acres of the 85-acre estate into wildlife sanctuaries, gardens, wetlands, riparian areas, and woodlands that help self-regulate the vineyard. Of course, they use solar power, run equipment on biodiesel, conserve water, and implement a recycling program, too.
Like Benzinger above, Montinore is a 200-acre, Demeter Certified Biodynamic, and CCOF Certified Organic estate. They grow cover crops in their vineyards to increase the fertility and health of the soil and to attract pollinators. They use biodynamic preparation sprays to heal and protect the vines; there are nine of these sprays, which include ingredients such as quartz water.
This wine producer has implemented a Floatovoltaic™ system—the world’s first floating, grid-connected solar installation. Their solar power has made them a net-zero user of electricity. They collect process water from the winery operations in order to irrigate the vineyard and protect the vines from frost. They also have an aggressive recycling policy and practice organic farming.
Also an award-winning sustainability vineyard, Ferrari-Caroni practices “dry” farming and trellising systems to conserve water use. They have a drip irrigation system in place to eliminate water overflow and waste, and they additionally have a sub-surface irrigation system that provides water directly to the plant roots. They employ recycled water. The vineyard has wind machines to help generate electricity, and their lands have been Fish Friendly Farming, with a deep commitment to the preservation of the Russian River biodiversity area. Fun fact: they use tiny Baby Doll sheep to poop and fertilize their vines, and they also provide rent-free housing for 100+ employees.
As a nod to nature, your wine glass will look great with these pretty flower wine glass charms!
LIQUOR
This is the world’s first vodka made from milk. More specifically, it’s made using whey leftover from cheese production. The distillery has a farm up the road, where they raise cows and make cheddar cheese. The distillers figured out a way to take the whey and lactose from which they extract sugar. Once the spirit is distilled, the vodka is treated with more milk. “It makes for a great frothy head to an Espresso Martini,” said the distiller. The Vodka is then triple-distilled using charcoaled coconut shells. (Lactose intolerant? It’s okay—all the milk sugar converts to alcohol, so there’s no lactose left.)
Ketel One has the world’s largest Dutch windmill to power the facility, along with solar panels. And yes, they use non-GMO grain, recycle, etc. But it’s perhaps their mission for education that sets Ketel One apart. The company offers awards and competitions to encourage bar owners and bartenders to think outside of the box. They have given awards to bartenders that source local ingredients or—better yet—source local ingredients that were earmarked to be thrown out.
This distillery is an organic, single estate. It was created not with the goal of producing spirits but with the goal of protecting the rainforests of Southern Belize. The company has a long legacy of rainforest preservation, marine conservation, and local education. The spirits are made from homegrown, organic heirloom sugarcane, and water is sourced from the rainforest canopy. The distillery is powered by sustainable biomass generated from the sugarcane fields. But it’s the waste treatment that might have the biggest impact. A study determined that the water waste from the distillery was 40 times as bad for the environment as human waste. “It’s very, very toxic.” To protect the fragile ecosystem in Belize, the company created catchment ponds that have a specific probiotic load that neutralizes the water. (Copalli Rum would look smashing displayed in our beautiful globe decanter.)
Novo Fogo’s chief product is cachaça, a distilled spirit composed of fermented sugarcane juice. Almost all native Brazilian tree species used to construct cachaça barrels are currently endangered. At the heart of Novo Fogo’s sustainability efforts are to preserve these trees and forests. They go so far as to GPS locate the endangered trees, watch over them, and carefully collect the seeds for propagation. And yes, the distillery is zero-waste and 100% organic. One upside to “un-endangering” the forests: birds are coming back. And those birds are happily eating the tree-killing insects. It’s a win-win effort to protect the environment.
Also: check out our old blog article: “Tree Planting Companies: The 7 Other Brands We Love.”
The spirits industry is innovatively implementing earth-saving solutions. You can do your part today, too.
From pooping sheep to vodka made from milk and rainforest preservation, it’s clear to see that the beer, wine, and spirits industry is really thinking outside the box. They are reducing their environmental footprint and doing it with style. For this year’s Earth Day, don’t let the kids have all the fun! There are plenty of ways that adults can make efforts to reduce their carbon footprint. Buying locally is a great way to start. Supporting some brands that are paving the way to create ethically-made spirits is another. What are some ways that you will celebrate Earth Day this year? Hit us up in the comments!
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Prestige Decanters
Each decanter is handcrafted and hand-blown, formed into designs limited only by imagination. We never skip steps to cut costs either. Instead, our decanters are made the hard way because quality takes effort and that’s what you deserve. Whether you are looking for a statement piece for your home bar or shopping for something elegant for that special loved one, our decanters are always a timeless gift. If you're searching for style, inspired craftsmanship, and a transformative piece of art that also elevates the flavor profile of your favorite wines and spirits, look no further.
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