Another reason to go to glass:
Not just the NW anymore.
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Well all your beer cans are aluminium already. And if memory serves theyre both more recyclable than bottles, and already mostly made from recycled materials. IIRC aluminium is more easily recyled. Because metal is relatively essy to sort, all drink package use the same aluminium, and the deposit return system keeps a lot of cans sequestered in their all supply chain. You dont even need to clean them, just melt to turn back into a spool. Glass on the hand is nearly impossible to sort. And since there are so many different colors and types, with a given product (or brand) needing specific color or type. Not much recycled glass apparently end up back in bottles.
So like I said given the current state of thing, everything I’ve seen indicated the cans are greener than glass for the drinks business. Because of transportatio
It can be hard to fathom just looking at a can in your hand. But from what I see day to day in the beer business its easier. 1 case of bottles takes up the same space as three cases of cans. The weight difference is somewhere around 2:1.
So its not a situation where the shipping emmissions are just slightly lower because boats and trucks are burning a bit less gas due to weight. Your sending out 1/3 less trucks. 1/3 fewer shipping containers on the boat. To move the same volume of beer. They use far less packaging overall as well. Rather than a full coverage corogated cardboard box. Its a (reusable) cardboard tray that uses a quarter of the material. When cans are packaged in a papet carton its paper rather than carsboard, which uses much less material. And the carton is less than half the size collaped compared to a bottle case.
That’s huge. I don’t see the slight change in polution from reusing a bottle over producing new ones having that level of effect. And as far as I’m aware differences in production of new package between the two can compare. Re-using glass bottles is an improvment over new glass bottles but I don’t think the comparison holds vs. otherpackaging types.
That will simplify logistics. And like i said this isn’t going to work well outside of a local to statewide market.
But what you tend to see with situations like this is that returns go back to the most popular and successful breweries in the most densly populated areas. But not to the smaller ones. As packaging is a significant expense, that puts stress on smaller and independant breweries.
With most breweries, especially small ones moving to canning because of the significant savings on operating costs. Or starting up as can only operations. Discounting environmental effects this just seems like locking breweries into a less profitable business model.
With significant stress on the beer business right now. Beer sales overall are falling. And as craft is its only growth sector there is a hell of a lot more pressure on small breweries. Even well established ones are starting to fail. And independant breweries are selling to conglomerates at record rates. While others are starting to team up and consolidate themselves to remain competative.
There’s a rash of shut downs and consolidstion kicking off. Throwing “do it this more expensive way its better” into that is probably a bad move.
To bring it back to kegs. There are rumors. Never confirmed of course. Of Inbev/AB using its associated distributors to corner smaller breweries kegs. Prevent them from making it back to the brewery. To pressure smaller breweries. Either to knock them out of the market, force them into buy outs, or punish them for leaving an associated distributor. You can directly impact a breweries availabilty and sales that way. Appart from the costs associated with forcing them to find new kegs.
Bottles are a lower buy in than kegs, and just easier to come buy.
But yeah just generally this seems like a bad move for smaller, non-corporate breweries.
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Bro like check out my new furniture bro
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Or stills. Or brew kettles. Or tables at hipster bars. Or door stops everywhere
All of which is illegal, its technically theft the deposit on a keg is only 30-50 bucks depending on the state. But they cost over a $100 each. And the fine for keeping one is over a grand I think. Very little enforcement though.
The biggest issue on that front at the moment is that the scrap value of the stainless is so high. They’re worth well more at the scrap yard than the deposit, or even what they used to sell for used. Means used kegs aren’t a value compared to new. New kegs have gone up in cost. And the impetus for stealing them is huge. Scrap yards don’t need to check where the keg came from the same way distributors do.
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My local home-brew store has your solution - a double walled stainless steel growler. Lighter and more durable than glass, and it keeps your beer at the correct temperature for much longer.
@fredtal: I have a couple fancy, unmarked growlers that were given to me as gifts. I have one very similar to the one below, minus the etching:
Also available at my local home-brew store. 
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But if you drink it, you have less to peddle.
The build up of unremovable gunk – or rather seasoning as it’s known in the beer industry – on the bottom of the bottle reaches the 1/10 inch mark.
Those bat-shit crazy ranchers were NOT from Oregon, they were from Nevada. They came here unannounced and very unwelcome. Oregon ranchers are a much finer breed of human beings.
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