New Belgium Brewing

Founded by an electrical engineer and a social worker, it only makes sense that New Belgium has always looked for ways to be energy efficient and socially responsible. Through embracing new technologies, seeking out alternative forms of energy and reducing our waste stream, we strive to make smart business decisions and do well by the environment each and every day. We are currently focused on the following areas of environmental balance. Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction • In 1998, New Belgium took an employee vote and decided to commit to being the nation’s first 100% wind-powered brewery. The decision came after our engineers, looking to minimize CO2 emissions, discovered that city’s power plant, which supplied the brewery with electricity, created the bulk of our emissions. Employee owners voted to dip into their bonus pool to help finance the conversion. Healthy Watersheds • Water is a key ingredient of beer. Water is also a key ingredient of life, ergo beer is a key ingredient of life (well – that’s a stretch, but it’s a mighty fine thing). Water conservation may well be the critical environmental concern in the western U.S. As brewers, we need to take that seriously. Through recapture and reuse, New Belgium has nearly halved the industry average of using eight barrels of water to produce one barrel of beer. Green Building • New Belgium has been a long-time participant in green building techniques. With each expansion of our facility we have incorporated new technologies and learned a few lessons along the way. In 2002 we agreed to participate in the United States Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Existing Buildings (LEED-EB) pilot program. From sun tubes and daylighting throughout the facility to reusing heat in the brewhouse, we continue to search out new ways to close loops and conserve resources. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle • The three "R's" of being an environmental steward. Our reuse program includes heat for the brewing process, cleaning chemicals, water and much more. Recycling at New Belgium takes on many forms, from turning "waste" products into something new and useful (like spent grain to cattle feed), to supporting the recycling market in creative ways (like turning our keg caps into table surfaces). We also buy recycled whenever we can, from paper to office furniture. Reduction surrounds us, from motion sensors on the lights throughout the building to induction fans that pull in cool winter air to chill our beers. Offsetting our energy needs is the cornerstone to being environmentally efficient. Living Sustainably • Having our own Sustainability Coordinator – or Sustainability Goddess as we like to refer to Hillary – has given us access to all sorts of great information. If you want to learn more about any of the programs to which New Belgium subscribes or maybe you’d like to have wind power at your home.