This week, Brewers
Collective — the
craft business unit of Anheuser-Busch — launched a national partnership with
TerraCycle to promote the proper recycling
of personal protective equipment (PPE).
To help do its part to help rein in the rampant waste of plastic and other
materials
since the onset of the
COVID-19 pandemic
(Johns Hopkins
University
estimated that an average of 45 million masks were per day in the US in
2020), Brewers Collective has installed TerraCycle Zero Waste Boxes,
specifically for single-use masks and gloves, at 18 craft breweries across the
US; once full, they will be returned to TerraCycle for recycling. The collected
PPE will be cleaned, melted, and processed into a raw material that can be used
to make new products — such as composite decking, outdoor furniture, and
reusable shipping pallets.
The Brewers Collective partnership is similar to one TerraCycle formed with Las
Vegas’ Venetian
Resort
in August, to recycle the surgical masks being used by guests and staff.
“TerraCycle’s mission has always been to ‘Eliminate the Idea of Waste’ and
provide solutions for items that seem difficult to recycle, such as disposable
masks and gloves,” says Sue Kauffman, TerraCycle’s North American Public
Relations Director. “Through the launch of this recycling initiative,
Anheuser-Busch’s Brewers Collective is doing its part to tackle the growing
impact of PPE waste in local communities and helping create a more sustainable
world for future generations.”
The decision to focus on PPE recycling emerged from the continued widespread
public use of protective
equipment,
and the continued littering of public spaces and landfills with single-use
gloves and masks — which not only create environmental risks, but also a
dangerous contamination risk.
“Sustainability has always been a core focus for our company and our craft
brewery partners; and this past year presented a new and unique set of
environmental challenges for our industry, overall,” said Brewers Collective
president Marcelo “Mika” Michaelis. “By partnering with TerraCycle, we are
addressing the time-sensitive issue of safely recycling our brewery PPE, while
also creating a solution that supports the larger community.”
To incentivize communities’ participation in the recycling effort, select
breweries will also be offering local “Pints for PPE” promotions at their
brewpubs. “Pints for PPE” offers gift cards or merchandise for customers who
bring their used PPE into local participating brewpubs. Details and timing of
local “Pints for PPE” events will be shared on participating breweries’ social
channels:
-
10 Barrel Brewing Company (Denver, CO)
-
Appalachian Mountain Brewery (Boone, NC)
-
Blue Point Brewing Company
(Patchogue, LI)
-
Breckenridge Brewery (Littleton, CO)
-
Cisco Brewers (Portsmouth, NH)
-
Devils Backbone Brewing Company
(Roseland, VA)
-
Elysian Brewing (Seattle, WA)
-
Four Peaks Brewing Company (Tempe, AZ)
-
Golden Road
Brewing
(Anaheim, CA)
-
Goose Island Beer Company (Chicago, IL)
-
Karbach Brewing Company (Houston, TX)
-
Platform Beer Co (Cleveland, OH; Columbus, OH)
-
Redhook Brewing (Seattle,
WA)
-
Veza Sur Brewing Company (Miami, FL)
-
Virtue Cider (Fennville, MI)
-
Wicked Weed Brewing (Asheville, NC)
-
Widmer Brothers Brewing (Portland, OR)
-
Wynwood Brewing Company (Miami, FL)
Get the latest insights, trends, and innovations to help position yourself at the forefront of sustainable business leadership—delivered straight to your inbox.
Sustainable Brands Staff
Published Feb 12, 2021 1pm EST / 10am PST / 6pm GMT / 7pm CET