September 2019 saw Bluestone Brewing Company head to London for the Footprint Drinks Sustainability Awards where they were shortlisted for the Stakeholder engagement award.
The Footprint Drinks Sustainability Awards is the barometer for sustainability and responsible business practice for the drinks industry in the out of home sector. The soft drinks industry has been in the public spotlight of late with its impacts highlighted in both the sugar and plastic debates. The alcoholic drinks sector has, to date, remained under the sustainability radar, but this is about to change.
Few industries rely on raw materials, water, energy and packaging as much as those involved in the production of alcohol and soft drinks. Carbon outputs through manufacturing processes and distribution, not to mention the waste implications, are evidence of a global industry with a huge collective responsibility that is arguably more beholden to climate and environmental conditions than many others.
The stakeholder engagement award recognises companies who are aiming to raise awareness of environmental issues and drive more sustainable behaviour amongst their staff and customers. The local community are heavily involved in Bluestone Brewing Company’s sustainability initiatives which include a community green hop beer (brewed with hops grown in the local gardens surrounding the Brewery), a crisp packet recycling scheme, cardboard collection point and the donation of spent hops for local gardeners to use as mulch. The Pembrokeshire Brewery are working hard to become a zero waste to landfill company by 2020.
The Brewery, set up in 2013, lost out to Warner’s Distillery this time round but it has not deterred them. Emily Hutchinson, marketing at the Brewery, said,
“It was such a big thing for us to even make the shortlist, and to be up against some huge names in the drinks industry. It’s great to see that other businesses are beginning to realise just how important it is for us to create companies that are built for the future and to manufacture our products with as little waste as possible. To be shortlisted for the stakeholder engagement award was great because we really have tried hard to become a hub for our local community and get everybody involved with our initiatives.”
You can read all about some of the ways that Bluestone Brewing Company are so ‘green’ on their website: www.bluestonebrewing.co.uk
