Sustainable brew

Great Lakes Brewing Co. has been at the forefront of local businesses who are re-examining all their practices through the lens of sustainability. The company also supports the entire sustainability community by hosting events and sponsoring the annual Burning River Fest to draw attention to water quality issues affecting the Cuyahoga River and Lake Erie.

The company also has supported the development of a local market for alternative fuels. Its "Fatty Wagon" shuttle van for taking customers to and from Cleveland Indians games runs on straight vegetable oil (SVO). The company recently converted a large semi-truck to run on vegetable oil, so now its beer deliveries emit a faint odor of french fries rather than diesel fumes.

Great Lakes reports the following advantages of using SVO as a fuel:

• Cheaper fuel. The cost of SVO averages about $1.11/gallon versus $2.60/gallon for diesel.
• Better gas mileage. The SVO truck recently reached 785 miles on one 100 gallon tank of SVO (averaging 7.85 miles/gallon versus the general 7 miles/gallon on conventional diesel).
• Better air quality. Preliminary tests show that SVO emissions result in lower amounts of nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide than diesel.
• The exhaust smokes less, smells better, and has the faint aroma of french fries.
• It lubricates better. SVO improves lubrication of fuel injectors over regular diesel.
• It recycles a waste product.
• It uses a renewable fuel derived from farm crops rather than a non-renewable fuel (petroleum).
• It contributes to our country’s energy independence by avoiding the use of imported petroleum.

Great Lakes Brewing's vehicles are essentially “bi-fuel” vehicles. One tank holds a blend of biodiesel and regular diesel (20% pure biodiesel and 80% petroleum diesel) to pre-heat the SVO fuel, and another tank holds SVO. After starting and running on diesel for about seven miles, the truck then runs on SVO at the flip of a switch for the duration of the trip.

The SVO is recycled from the Great Lakes Brewpub and other sources. The oil is simply filtered; it is not put through a chemical process like biodiesel.

Zero-waste initiatives

Here is a complete list of Great Lakes Brewing's sustainability projects:

• Alternative fuels: GLBC operates a beer delivery truck and a shuttle bus called "The Fatty Wagon" that runs on straight restaurant vegetable oil. Results show that engines running on straight vegetable oil produce 40% less soot than diesel and are 25% cleaner.
• Brewery grain and breads: Zoss the Swiss Baker produces the cracked barley beer bread and pretzels found on the menu using grains from the brewing process.
• Organic mushrooms: Killbuck Farms uses brewery grains as a substrate for growing organic shitake and oyster mushrooms. The substrate is combined with sawdust and paper to serve as a medium for growing the organic mushrooms used in entrees.
• All-natural meats, dairy and produce: GLBC's Brewpub regularly features all-natural beef, pork, chicken, cheeses and produce from local, organic farmers. A number of local farmers are raising livestock on a diet of brewery grains.
• Urban greenhouse and gardens: Kentucky Gardens, the community garden that produces vegetables for the GLBC Brewpub, was the recent site for a "passive solar greenhouse" pilot project. The combination of energy conservation techniques in the SunTrap™ design allows it to successfully grow organic produce year round without any supplemental heat or light energy. GLBC also sponsors and receives harvests from Common Ground Garden, a local urban community garden system headed by Cleveland's Summer Sprouts Program.
• Recycling: GLBC recycles cardboard, glass, plastic, steel/aluminum, paper and brewer’s barley to reduce trash removal fees by 40%. GLBC prints newsletters, menus, beverage napkins and promotional items on 100% recycled paper. In addition, all four-pack and six-pack packaging contains 100% recycled fibers and the unbleached "eco-carton" (which holds a case of beer) also consists of 100% recycled materials.
• Vermicomposting: GLBC uses vermicomposting to produce natural fertilizer. A portion of paper, kitchen scraps, grain and cardboard is fed to worms, which then produce castings — top-of-the-line organic fertilizer — used to fertilize the herbs and vegetables found on the menu.
• Energy efficiency: GLBC has a cooling system in the brewery cooler that brings in cold air during winter months to cool the beer. Skylights and light sensors have been installed in the tank farm and cooler to allow in natural light and minimize the use of electricity. An "air curtain" is in place in the Brewpub to keep warm air from escaping when patrons enter and exit.
• Low-fill beer: To minimize the waste of throwing away "low-fill beers" (bottles of beer that cannot go to retail because they are not filled to the maximum level), GLBC uses the beer in a number of menu items, including salad dressings and the Stilton Cheddar Cheese Soup. Mitchell's Ice Cream also uses the GLBC Porter in the exclusive Edmund Fitzgerald Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream.
• Beer garden enclosure: Scheduled to be unveiled in Summer 2006, GLBC will introduce its newly renovated beer garden complete with a retractable "Roman Curtain" roof. The Roman Curtain is a durable canvas roof that will enclose the current open-air beer garden, which will allow use of this indoor/outdoor dining area all year. The beer garden will also include a radiant heat fireplace, a straw bale wall and 10-foot high sliding glass doors.