Green Breweries

Brewery equipment at Newport brewery — Brewery equipment at Newport Craft Brewing & Distilling Co.

Brewery equipment at Gray Sail Brewery in Westerly RI.

Brewing equipment at Apponaug Brewery in Warwick.

As of 2023, the increasingly popular craft beverage industry in Rhode Island hosts close to 39 open breweries across the state. Although these breweries are an important part of the state's economy, they can negatively affect water quality in their communities if they do not use proper pollution prevention practices. The wastewater generated from breweries, distilleries, and wineries can cause problems for wastewater treatment facilities (WWTF) and septic systems from large volumes of organic waste. The brewing process also uses high volumes of water and electricity.

There are many actions breweries can take to reduce their environmental impact, prevent pollution, conserve natural resources, and be a model of sustainability. In RI, most craft beverage producers already have a strong culture of sustainability and a desire to protect natural resources and the environment for future generations while crafting the finest beverages. DEM's Office of Customer and Technical Assistance has prepared the RI Green Breweries Program to help them get to where they want to be while recognizing all their hard work.

Need help getting started? Contact dem.greenbreweries@dem.ri.gov for more information.

NEW! Rhode Island / New England BetterBev Green Craft Beverage Recognition Program

A voluntary program to recognize Rhode Island Breweries implementing pollution prevention and sustainable best management practices.
Provides free technical assistance to craft beverage manufacturers who are interested in implementing pollution prevention practices and decreasing their impact on the environment.
Rhode Island has collaborated with Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire to outline regional performance standards.
Becoming a RI Green Brewery allows your facility to be regionally recognized as well without an extra application!
To become recognized fill out the BetterBev checklist and submit to Dem.GreenBreweries@dem.ri.gov

BetterBev Checklist PDF file, less than 1

Technical Assistance

We can help you...

Improve profitability while minimizing environmental impacts.
Create a culture of sustainability by empowering employees to drive the effort.
Minimize natural resource usage.
Provide a safer work environment.
Add value to your local community.
Preserve supply chain ingredients.
Enhance your image as a responsible craft beverage producer.
Assist with managing your waste stream.

Contact OCTA staff to get started at dem.greenbreweries@dem.ri.gov

Benchmarking

The first step to being sustainable is to track energy and water usage, which will guide the development of strategic pollution prevention planning. We call it benchmarking.  Tracking your energy usage, water usage, and waste stream helps guide the development of unique pollution prevention strategies aimed at reducing your business’s environmental impact.

Brewers Association Sustainability Benchmarking Tool

Contact OCTA staff to get started at dem.greenbreweries@dem.ri.gov

Craft Beverage Pollution Solutions

There are many best practices for energy and water conservation that can easily be incorporated into daily operations, as well as solutions that can reach even further and lead to operating cost reductions and new community initiatives. 

Improve Energy Efficiency

Breweries rely on coolers for the brewing process and have the opportunity to reduce their use and associated costs through the use of solar, energy star appliances, LED lighting, heat recovery, insulation, as well as rebates and incentives. The first step of this process is to conduct an energy audit.

Resources

RI Energy RISE provides free energy audits and resources for small businesses.
The new Southern New England Industrial Assessment Center (IAC) at UConn & University of New Haven, administered by the US DOE, provides free audits and consulting services to small and medium-sized manufacturers for saving energy, reducing water usage, reducing carbon footprint, adopting renewable energy, and improving productivity. Breweries with energy bills greater than $100,000/year may be eligible and can request an assessment.
- Please contact engr-iac@uconn.edu to determine eligibility
- UMass IAC Success Story – Cisco Brewery
ENERGY STAR Industrial Assistance Network
Energy Star Treasure Map for Microbreweries
USEPA – Brewing Up Energy Savings
Rhode Island Renewable Energy Opportunities:
Solar photovoltaics (PV) and solar hot water heating systems can harness energy from the sun to provide power to the brewery and preheat water for the brewing process. Fermenter control systems save energy by making sure pumps run only when they need to and reduce beer waste by keeping the beer at the correct temperature throughout the brewing process.
Regional Breweries utilizing solar and energy efficiency practices:

Reduce Air Pollution

Beer brewer checking a pour from a large industrial kettle

The main sources of emissions from breweries are from volatile organic compounds (VOCs) created by the fermentation and filling processes and particulate matter (PM) from grain handling. Breweries can improve air quality by installing emission controls and recapturing CO₂ generated during the fermentation process for reuse in brewing.

Resources

Examples of air pollution reduction efforts include:

Maintenance, efficient kettles/boilers/HVAC, electric forklifts/machinery, CO₂ recovery, and local sourcing
- One small benchmark for CO₂ usage is checking your system regularly for leaks.
- Nitrogen can also be used to clear lines and purge tanks instead of CO₂ to save on CO₂ costs.
- A CO₂ capture can also be used to reuse CO₂ gas more efficiently in your system:
- Local Sourcing webinar:
  - TDEC – Sourcing Local Ingredients for Spirits Production – Video
- The Northeast Grainshed Alliance is a group of farmers, millers, maltsters, brewers, bakers, distillers, and more committed to building a local food chain in the Northeast. Using local grains contributes to farmland preservation.
  - The SQFT Project, including SQFT calculators, is a way to assess the ingredients of craft grain beverages, generating figures that represent the square footage of farmland involved in making each product.
- Craft Malt Finder

Save Water & Manage Wastewater

Person Filling Drinking Glass With Beer on Tap. Photo by ELEVATE: https://www.pexels.com

Resources

Wastewater Management and Sustainable Practices for Rhode Island Craft Brewers PDF file, about 7

Industrial Pretreatment Program Factsheet for Breweries, Wineries & Distilleries PDF file, less than 1

List of WWTF Industrial Pretreatment Program Contacts (IPP Contacts) PDF file, less than 1

Wastewater Disposal Guidance for Breweries, Wineries & Distilleries PDF file, less than 1

Craft Brewers Forum - Optimizing Water Use PDF file, about 5

Reduce Solid Waste

Craft brewing Image by Pixabay, cerdadebbie

The brewing process generates a variety of wastes, including spent grains, spent yeast and tank bottoms. Other wastes that breweries may generate include packaging, mandatory recyclables and scrap plate waste from dining, all of which can be diverted from landfill.

Resources

BarTrack NHDES – BarTrack Presentation

Rhode Island Outlets for Brewer Solid Waste PDF file, less than 1

Solid Waste Guidance for Breweries, Wineries & Distilleries PDF file, less than 1

Additional Resources

Green Brewery Success Stories

DEM would like to highlight and thank the breweries that have volunteered in onboarding this program from the beginning through videos and case studies