Sustainability and carbon emissions remain high on the business agenda. From consumer demand to greater regulation, making changes with environmental impact in mind can be difficult.
For the brewery industry the contribution to carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions during fermentation impacts hugely on the carbon footprint of beer. According to the Guardian, accounting for one-twentieth of the CO2 released, about 15g per pint.
Increasingly CO2 recovery systems are being used by brewers, to both capture the CO2 released during the fermentation process and purify it for reuse. This reduces the amount of carbon dioxide that is released into the atmosphere and it also saves money, where CO2 is used in the production process.
Investing in these systems reduces the carbon footprint of products and moves from a heavily polluting process to a more sustainable one. Longer term this may have a positive effect on the costs within the drinks sector associated with climate change. Barley being sensitive to heat and drought is more vulnerable to extreme weather events that are more frequent because of global warming.
Being purpose driven offers a competitive advantage for many businesses, but the use of CO2 recovery systems may also offer an advantage in quality of products. The use of purer CO2 can improve the quality of beer, with a smoother, more consistent flavour in the final product.
In the long-term carbon dioxide recovery systems should pay for themselves, as the savings from using the recycled CO2 can offset the initial costs of installing and maintaining the recovery systems.
Challenges for breweries often lie in the initial cost of equipment, from upsizing and increasing output, to implementing new technology to improve sustainability.
One way to overcome this is by using equipment finance. Equipment finance is a type of lending that allows a purchase of equipment without having to pay the full cost upfront, helping to preserve working capital.
Equipment finance can also provide flexible repayment options that are tailored to the specific needs of the brewery, managing cash flow, and ensuring affordable repayments.
To find out which finance packages can help your brand meet sustainability and decarbonising goals, get in touch with one of our team.
