SUSTAINABILITY
Product Standard
‘Product Standard’ is the carbon footprint of our cans and kegs, this is an average carbon footprint across the board for all the different beers we make.
This footprint is split into 4 main categories:
Raw Materials
- The emissions that are associated with the use and acquisition of our malt, hops, yeast and water that goes into each beer.
- Some hops we have to source from far and wide to create our juicy beers, and unfortunately there are emissions linked with the transportation of these raw ingredients.
- Any brewing additions such as brewing salts or fruit zest and puree.
- The CO2 we put into our beer to carbonate it also comes under this category.
Processing
- Emissions from gas and electricity usage.
- Fermentation and carbonation- when beer ferments it releases carbon dioxide and after re-introduction of CO2 to carbonate the beer, this is eventually released once the beer is consumed.
- Any waste materials generated.
Packaging
- Emissions associated with the specific packaging type of which we are analysing, in this case either 500ml aluminium cans or steel kegs.
Transport
- This category takes into account emissions from how the beer has travelled to the customer- whether this be via our webshop, wholesalers, or when customers come to the Tappy to pick up cans.
Kegged beer has a slightly lower carbon footprint than cans, this is due to efficiencies gained in larger packaging volumes and the reusability of the kegs we use. However, research has shown that aluminium cans are the next best option after kegs.
Carbon Labelling
Knowing the carbon footprint of the products you buy is important. It allows you to make informed decisions not only on the quality or taste of a product but also the impact it has on the environment.
This is why we have put the carbon footprint of our canned beer on every label. Look out for the logo below when you next pick up some cans!
We have continued to partner with Zevero to measure our emissions and are proud to be a member of their online auditing platform. This allows us to measure our monthly emissions and brings us even closer to knowing the ins and outs of our carbon footprint, where the hotspots are, and where we can focus on reducing our environmental impact.
We can also use this platform to keep a close eye on how our emissions stand up against our peatland restoration project and when we might need to start our next offsetting project while we strive to lower in-house emissions. If you haven’t heard about this then have a read below to find out more about the work we’ve done with Forest Carbon for our climate change mitigation.
It’s vital companies start and continue to measure their emissions to create change. The more we measure, the more the industry is aware of the emissions we create, the more we can start to reduce.
Download our 2021 cradle to grave carbon footprint here! Please have a read, share it, and contact us below with any questions you might have.
Catch up on our journey so far...
Climate change mitigation
It is extremely important for businesses to internally take actions to reduce their impact on the environment instead of simply offsetting. Due to the nature of our business however, there are some things we are not able to reduce or change in order to lower our emissions.
As we source raw ingredients globally, to counter this we are supporting UK nature-based projects to help mitigate the impact of our residual carbon emissions as well as continuing to explore new ways to reduce internally.
Peatlands are areas of wetland which play a vital role in creating biodiversity, reducing flooding, and providing the UK with clean drinking water; 70% of UK water is sourced from areas of peatland. This makes it a great opportunity for us as a brewery to give back to nature for providing us with the clean water we use to make our beers.
They are also great for sequestering CO2 and serve as large carbon stores; they hold more carbon than all other vegetation types in the world combined. However, when peatland is neglected, drained, or extracted for garden compost, the store breaks down and not only stops sequestering CO2, but releases CO2 into the atmosphere as well- we must protect and restore them to prevent this from happening.
On top of our internal reduction strategies, we have decided to support the delivery of a 65-hectare Welsh peatland restoration project, working in conjunction with Forest Carbon. It is estimated that the restoration project will halt the emission of at least 2,335 tCO2e over the next 35 years. It is important to note this project would not have gone ahead without the funding support we were able to provide to the project, and it has been validated under The Peatland Code. This is a voluntary standard for UK peatland projects wishing to gain investment for the climate benefit of restoration. The Peatland Code provides assurance and clarity for business and other investors in peatland restoration projects through independent validation and verification. The Code works on the basis that after restoration, carbon savings are made through rapid emissions reductions.
More information on the project can be found here, and please check out the photos of the project below!
Pre-restoration
Post-restoration
Communication
We would love to hear from you, our customers, on how we can improve what we are doing around sustainability. We want to open the conversation and encourage dialogue. Let’s hear from you! Contact us using the form below.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 2018 warned that industry had 12 years to meet emergency environmental targets and restrict global warming to 1.5ᵒC. As of March 2023, the IPCC has now released its final alarm warning that "Our world needs climate action on all fronts: everything, everywhere, all at once." We must act now and work together to make a difference!