Sustainability Series: The Sustainable Practices We’ve Implemented at the Brewery
Throughout the month of April, we’re highlighting how we at Boundary implement sustainable practices in every aspect of the brewery. We’re in the business of consumption, so it’s important to us that we try to offset our impact on the environment as much as possible. Today, we’re focusing on the sustainable practices we’ve implemented around the brewery.
Sustainable Connections Food Recovery Program
We’ve partnered with Sustainable Connections for years, ensuring that our leftover food doesn’t go to waste! We donate our food leftovers to them, where they are distributed among those in need, through their Food Recovery Program. This allows us to reduce our food waste while being able to give back and support individuals and families in our area who are in need.
Recycling Old Kegs
Having been around for over 28 years, we’ve produced a lot of beer and used a great number of kegs in our lifetime. Unfortunately, kegs cannot be used forever, and are eventually unusable in the brewing process. To combat this waste, we’ve found a way of repurposing them all around the brewery! Walk by the brewery anytime from Spring-Summer, and you’ll notice a space filled with flowers … and kegs! We’ve been able to repurpose our old kegs into planters that help us outline our space while adding biodiversity and aesthetic to our outdoor spaces as well!
Spent Grain Donations
The brewing process utilizes a LOT of grain. Each pint of beer you drink requires around 1/3 pound of grain. To combat the huge amount of waste that this creates, we found a way to give it another life by sending it to local farms. Our spent grain is given to a dairy farm in our region, to help feed their cows!
Second-Hand Seating
Sustainability has always been important to our brewery, and plays heavily into the aesthetic of our space! All our indoor seating has been acquired second-hand, recycling furniture that is no longer needed by its original owners! If you take a look into the taproom or bistro, you’ll notice that many of the chairs are different styles, with varying seat materials (including jeans!), all part of the charm! These chairs are maintained on-site, further reducing our negative impact on the planet.
6-Pack Top Recycling
Buying a 6-pack of brews usually means you’ll be left with a plastic topper at the end. We, along with many other breweries in town will take them back from you, whether you got it from Boundary or not, and reuse them! Work with us to eliminate the single use of this plastic, and to keep them out of our landfills!
Eliminating Single-Use Waste
Enjoying a beer and a burger in the beer garden is a favorite summer activity, however, we noticed it created a lot of extra waste! We decided to get rid of the single-use paper food boats we once used in the garden, and replaced them with metal trays, that are lined with minimal paper. This allows us to still maintain the same level of cleanliness when serving in the garden, while drastically reducing the amount of waste created in it.
To learn about more sustainable practices we have at the brewery, or to suggest how we can improve our sustainable efforts, click the button below!