The one day where everyone is Irish and celebrates the night by drinking green beer at an Irish pub comes around every year. But did you know you can drink green beer every day of the year? More breweries are exploring ways to be more eco-friendly and are pushing out beers that can be dubbed “green” without having the visible holiday hue as part of the beverage.
Breweries across America are taking steps like wind power and solar power to provide their energy for brewing. Some are even turning to including only all natural ingredients in their beer and recycled packaging to reduce their carbon footprint. However, these environmentally concerned breweries are smaller and distributed more locally. Larger breweries sold on a national level could learn a thing or two from these small beer companies when it comes to going green.
Consumers can also have a green effect on the environment with their beer choice. By ordering a locally brewed beer, consumers eliminate the need for transportation from far away cities that create more carbon emissions than a local delivery. Beer from the tap is also better for the environment because it eliminates the need for cans and bottles (that may or may not be recycled by the bar or pub). So today, on St. Patrick’s Day, we hope that you will give some thought into where your beer is coming from and if it is really a green beer, no matter how much dye may be in it.
Don’t forget to recycle your cans and bottles and have a safe and happy St. Patrick’s Day!
For more information about eco-friendly breweries in America visit: http://www.odemagazine.com/doc/69/green-breweries/
– Amanda
WildernessU-Georgia 