Realizing the importance for all of us and our planet we are trying to initiate practices and policies which will make us more energy efficient. This will be of economic benefit in the long term both to ourselves and hopefully others. Breweries use lots of energy and resources so that any way to cut back will be important. This effort should be done by all of us in the consumption chain of beer. The following is just a partial list of what we are currently doing and what you can do also. If you have any suggestions -please let us know.

THE BREWERY

1. We are making Biodiesel out of used vegetable oil and using it in our delivery trucks.
2. All brewery lights are flourescent and many if not critial have been turned off.
3. Brewery is heated with radiant floor heat (from the hot water heater) and from the waste heat of the boiler used in brewing.
4. Water from the cold water tank (used in cooling the wort) is reused to clean tanks.
5. We are recycling the plastic Six Pack holders here at the brewery- I am working on some sort of payback program - maybe a free T-shirt for every 150 returned. What do you think?
6. We are reusing cartons when ever possible. Another advantage to being local.
7. Spent grain is used for feeding local cattle (Thank you JR) and a small amount used in making a delicious bread (Try some at Scratch Bakery in Johnson City)

What You Can Do

1. Buy local- Cut down transportation costs and fuel usage
2. Use reusage containers- Growlers, Fresh Kegs, etc.
3. Buy Draft beer- no bottles to throw away.
4. When necessary to buy bottles please recycle- A very large percentage of the glass in new beer bottles are made with recycled bottles. Unfortunately it is much more efficient to crush old bottles than to use the time and energy to remove labels, clean and resanitize them.