More than 1,200 Holiday Inn hotels are scattered across the spherical floating rock called Earth. While Holiday Inn may not scream out “ideation” or “entrepreneurship” the same way Pitbull screams out “Holiday Inn” in his hit 2009 release “Hotel Room Service,” some of its hotels have undoubtedly been the location in which the ideas behind innovative businesses and technologies took root. On March 7, 2023, at the Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland, Maine, for instance, the BetterBev Green Craft Beverage Recognition Program was launched.
Formed by a coalition of New England states, the free environmental sustainability initiative was announced at the New England Brew Summit, a premier craft beer industry business-to-business (B2B) conference.
Partially funded by grants from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Prevention (P2) Program, BetterBev was created to help craft beverage producers throughout New England review facility operations, identify areas for improvement, and reduce costs through sustainable processes. The initiative is definitely in the right region — there are more than 600 craft breweries in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont, according to the Brewers Association.
Numerous New England states have been driving more environmentally friendly practices into the craft brewing industry over the past few years. These efforts led the states to launch a sustainability recognition program for New England, which developed into the BetterBev initiative.
How It Works
New England-based novice and expert craft beer producers can access the free tools and resources offered by BetterBev. Once signed up, program participants’ facility operations are reviewed and rated using 10 sustainability criteria.
- Environmentally responsible sourcing
- Water usage
- Wastewater reduction
- Stormwater management
- Energy efficiency and conservation
- Carbon dioxide (CO2) use and emissions
- Cleaning and sanitizing
- Waste reduction
- Packaging format and materials
- Environmental culture
Photo Courtesy Pixabay
After finishing the ratings based on the criteria, BetterBev provides technical recommendations, strategic priorities, and financial strategies for improvement. The program’s mission is to develop long-term solutions — not quick fixes. This effort means participating companies’ waste generation, energy use, water consumption, and other vital metrics are constantly measured and monitored to strive for continuous improvement.
Once craft beverage producers meet specific sustainable performance thresholds across those 10 areas, they receive recognition as a “green beverage producer” by the BetterBev Recognition program. A different oversight organization is responsible for managing the initiative in each of the six states that form the New England coalition.
- Connecticut: Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
- Massachusetts: University of Massachusetts Boston
- Maine: New England Environmental Finance Center at the University of Southern Maine
- New Hampshire: Pollution Prevention Program at the Department of Environmental Services
- Rhode Island: Department of Environmental Management
- Vermont: New England Environmental Finance Center at the University of Southern Maine
Breweries With BetterBev Recognition
Photo Courtesy Portico Brewing Co.
Since its launch, about 50 of the more than 600 craft breweries in the region have received BetterBev recognition. The variety in how these producers have reached these impressive sustainable standards shows near-infinite levels of business creativity.
A taproom, brewery, and kitchen in Somerville, Massachusetts, Portico Brewing, received its official Green Brewery designation largely due to its all-electric approach to operations. The brewery is enrolled in a “100% Local Green” program that sources renewable energy from solar, wind, anaerobic digestion, and low-impact hydro. It also operates a can carrier take-back recycling program and is working towards its next goal: an official Zero-Waste certification.
Earlier this year, True North Ale Company in Ipswich, Massachusetts, received a BetterBev certification from the UMass Boston Green Brewery Project. The brewery stands out for its efforts to enhance water conservation, increase energy efficiency, and reduce CO2 emissions. Installing programmable thermostats, LED lights, and thorough insulation helped the company significantly reduce energy consumption. However, the brewery’s standout initiative was a collaboration with the Ipswich River Watershed Association, which saw them launch a special beer to raise awareness for better water policy and funds for the Watershed Association.
Photo Courtesy schropferoval
Northeast Connecticut is home to the BetterBev-certified Black Pond Brews, which earned the designation in January 2024 in no small part because of its work to reduce waste water pollutants and overall water usage. Two other Connecticut-based breweries also received their certifications at the same time. The first, Kent Falls Brewing Company, has lowered its carbon emissions and supported more than 50 acres of Northeast Grain Shed through its operations. Not to be outdone, Nod Hill Brewery offsets 100% of its electricity with an innovative solar panel system.
What’s Next?
Roughly 550 craft breweries in New England have yet to receive a BetterBev certification. The good news is that a portion of those remaining 550 are already currently working with the BetterBev program to meet their sustainability criteria thresholds. That may seem like a large number, but it’s 50 fewer than when the program was first announced all those days ago at the Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland, Maine.
