Sustainable suds
Breweries across the country have been overhauling their operations to be more eco-friendly, like New York’s wind-powered Brooklyn Brewery, and Colorado’s Carver Brewing Co., which sells beer in refillable jugs. Now Hawaii’s largest brewery, Kona Brewing Company, has gotten its two restaurants–Kona Brewery and Pub on the Big Island and Koko Marina Pub–certified by the Green Restaurant Association and is greening its brewing operations too.
“Over the past few years we have been making great strides in reducing our environmental impact,” says President and CEO Mattson Davis. One of those strides included hiring “sustainability coordinator” Tracy Solomon two years ago. To meet certification requirements, Tracy Solomon focused on reducing energy usage, minimizing waste, preventing pollution and supporting local agriculture at the Hawaii Kai and Kailua-Kona restaurants.
For example, at the Kona Brewery and Pub the company now recycles grey water collected from air conditioning, using it to irrigate the restaurant’s landscaping. And both restaurants now use biodegradable takeout materials from local company Sustainable Island Products, as well as a slew of new eco-friendly cleaning products. “For most restaurants, that’s the biggest, hardest thing to do,” says Solomon. “People think that you have to bleach and sanitize to maintain cleanliness. But the Green Restaurant Association has done a lot of research finding great, non-hazardous cleaning products that meet the health code.”
The changes extend to beer making. In October, Kona Brewing Company received its organic processor certification from the Hawaii Organic Farmers Assocation, and just last week “we brewed our first certified organic beer,” Solomon says. “It’s our most difficult beer to brew.” Oceanic Organic will be available in both locations in January. In addition, the company is exploring renewable energy usage for its Big Island facility, which already uses heat exchangers and hot water reclamation its brewing process.
“This is just the beginning,” says Solomon. “We anticipate going further with our efforts to reduce our impact on the environment.”
And you thought green beer was just for St. Patrick’s Day. –Lesa Griffith
