Is The Sierra Nevada Brewing Company A Model For Zero Waste?

When you think about running a green business, what comes to mind? A company that recycles its unwanted paper, then shreds its confidential information when it’s no longer needed, and uses LED light bulbs instead of the more wasteful incandescent bulbs, perhaps? How about a business that donates unused product to locals who can use it? What about a business that turns its waste into fuel, ensuring that even its delivery vehicles are eco-friendly?

If that’s what comes to mind, then the zero waste business you’re thinking of is probably the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company.

Serious Dedication To Going Green

The Sierra Nevada Brewing Company was established in 1979, and it’s grown quite a bit since then according to this source. As of 2012 it’s the second-largest brewing company in the U.S., and it puts out hundreds of thousands of barrels of beer a year.

Now that might not be what you think of when you think “zero waste,” but the company won the EPA’s “Green Business of The Year Award” in 2010 for its practices.

What did this business do that made it greener and more ecologically friendly than any other business in the United States? Well, for starters, the business powers itself from the 10,000 photovoltaic modules that line its rooftop and property. It even went one step further and provided electric vehicle charging stations for it customers, which are linked directly to that solar energy. The business installed a biodiesel converter so that all the used cooking oil from its restaurant is turned into fuel, which is then used to power its delivery trucks.

Also, the company entered into agreements with a local company to take unused yeast (one of the main ingredients of beer brewing) and turn it into ethanol. If that wasn’t enough, the company has its own, on-site water treatment plant that it uses to recycle the spent water used in brewing. Spent grain is sent to local farmers who can use it to care for their livestock.

While not every business can be quite that green, the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company shows just how little waste you can produce if you put your mind to it.