Sustainability is a word that gets used a lot in brewing circles. As many breweries look to be responsible, progressive members of industry, they look for ways to lower their impact on the planet or seek to improve it. But, what it means to be sustainable can be a moving target. For smaller breweries there are basic steps they can take, but to implement larger changes can take work and constant dedication.
“I think one of the things that can be intimidating about the word sustainability is starting,” says Rhiannon Hoeweler the vice president of experience and impact at Ohio’s Mad Tree Brewing. “It can be such a big word. And I think people can feel overwhelmed by what needs to happen or what can happen. And so instead of getting started, they just mull things over for a long period of time and never really get moving in the right direction. And I think each small step can lead to bigger steps. And so, I think my first thought would be, don’t get overwhelmed. Great things happen over long periods of time, they don’t happen overnight.”
For Mad Tree, its evolution has been a number of steps that were taken with purpose and direction. It’s both a Certified B Corp and participates in 1% for the Planet.
Those steps, Hoeweler says, can be really small at first, like changing a company dynamic and conversation. While that happens within a brewery’s four walls, it’s also important to be looking at the larger world.
“I think people are starting to feel the effects of climate change,” she says. “I think when we talk through what beer is all about, right, it’s about good water quality. And if we’re not taking care of our natural resources, we won’t have great beer. So I think it’s almost as simple as that there’s a lot going on. People are getting more and more interested in focused on this effort. And I think it’s similar to why we joined 1% for the planet, or B Corp.”
As a member of both those organizations, the brewery gives annually , 1 percent of its sales to local, environmental nonprofits.
“It’s everybody working collectively together can do a lot of really powerful work,” she says. “If we’re all doing it in our own little siloed pockets, the impact won’t be as large. So, the opportunity to join forces and work together is pretty powerful, and can lead to powerful outcomes.”
To showcase the work its doing, Mad Tree releases an annual impact report and details its work on its website, which is not only great promotion, but also can serve as a blueprint for other breweries who want to be doing more.
The brewery has committed to delivering $5 million of Impact by 2030 and requires that employees do 16 hours of paid volunteer hours per year for all full-time employees.
It has planted or donated more than 15,000 trees, and all of the brewery’s carbon offset dollars go to the Cincinnati parks Foundation to plant trees. Over the last several years it has invested more than $300,000 in local non-profit organizations.
The brewery touts that since 2016 more than 12 million pounds of spent grain has been sent to feed local livestock, and since 2018 more than 250,000 pounds of waste has been composted and diverted from landfills. The brewery facilities are solar powered, and its Alcove location is LEED Gold certified.
But, why, you might ask, is a brewery in the business of planting trees? Well, it’s just one way they are trying to differentiate themselves from all the other breweries in the country.
“We’re hoping to build emotional connection with our consumers,” Hoeweler says. “As we lean more into being a brewery and a hospitality company, we want to be able to attract and retain talent. And one of the ways in which we can do that is by again, differentiating ourselves. This next generation [of workers] really wants a company that gives back and we do that time and time and time again.”
Hoeweler has been with the company for four years now and says that every day she sees the founders “walk the walk” every day.
“I am in awe of their amazing commitment to build a sustainable company that their kids are proud of. And I think it’s pretty powerful. It’s also pretty powerful for the people who work here to live in that. So, when you’re having a really tough day and you’re frustrated, this is something that you can like lean back into and realize that it’s bigger than just that one more beer that we’re going to sell or that one more moment. We’re building something for long term and it’s a pretty powerful thing to be a part of, and to lead.”
That hits home on what sustainability is about for breweries these days. It’s a given that a brewery needs to make excellent beer. That’s the bare minimum.
“The differentiator is the connection point,” says Hoeweler. “If Cincinnati is successful, Mad Tree will be successful. So we always want other people joining us in the work that we’re doing in the community. And we’re inviting everybody to the table.”