Sustainability Practices

SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE

1. ONSITE RECYCLING BEST PRACTICES FOR SUSTAINABLE BREWING
   To continue learning, Worthy hired The Broomsmen to perform a waste stream analysis on both the brewery and restaurant operations. From this analysis, The Broomsmen is compiling a comprehensive guide on what Worthy can do to improve its recycling and composting efforts onsite. This will include recommended solutions, proper signage for staff and guests, and staff training to ensure the best sustainable brewing possible. Stay tuned!
2. ALTERNATIVE PACKAGING SOLUTIONS
   One alternative to the plastic PakTech carriers that Worthy has researched is a 6-pack ring made from byproduct of waste and other compostable materials. When disposed of properly, the E6PR finds its way to a compostable facility, where it will degrade in days, and when, unfortunately, left out in the open land or a water system, it will degrade in a matter of weeks. This material, when composted, does not cause harm to wildlife in the case of ingestion.
3. COMMUNITY COMPOSTING WITH WORTHY GARDEN CLUB
   In partnership with the Worthy Garden Club, we are implementing a neighborhood composting program that allows community members to compost at their homes and bring their compost to Worthy. We will store and provide the compost to local farmers.
4. BREWERY WASTE WATER (BWW) DISPOSAL
   Worthy has been and continues to be in conversations with fellow Central Oregon breweries and the City of Bend (COB) to find a sustainable brewing solution to the increasing amount of BWW that is hitting Bend’s sewage system.
   • BWW consists of extra high strength waste, which is yeast, trub, spec beer and other organic materials from the brewing process.
   • Municipal wastewater treatment has a very high carbon footprint due to the carbon production and the generation of greenhouse gases (GHGs) during the BWW treatment process.
   • These GHGs (carbon dioxide and methane) are then dispersed directly into the atmosphere.
   • Carbon dioxide and methane are devastating to the environment and are one of the leading causes of climate change.

   Currently, the most cost-effective and commonly practiced solutions to BWW are to:

   • Repurpose the solid waste into fertilizer via Agricycle.
   • Provide the BWW solids or spent grains to local cattle ranchers as feed to cattle.

   However, as Bend continues to grow, and the amount of BWW continues to increase, these solutions won’t continue to be viable because of the increased odor from the agricultural smells. The sheer volume is too much for the land to need or absorb. Furthermore, when the spent grains are fed to cattle, the grains are eventually converted to GHGs via digestion and released to the atmosphere.

DECREASING THE IMPACT OF BWW

In November 2018, recognizing the issue of increasing amounts of BWW being generated from Central Oregon’s craft beer economy, Worthy attended a roundtable meeting with the COB, the State of Oregon, EDCO, Crux, Deschutes, 10 Barrel, Sidestream Energy and Purpose Energy to discuss a potential solution. The proposed solution is to sidestream all BWW. It will be diverted to an Anaerobic Digestion (AD) system, which mimics the process of the gut of a cow. This process creates clean water and renewable energy.

The renewable energy is a biogas that can be used to produce carbon neutral fuel, heat or electricity. Given the COB’s high volume of GHGs generated from commercial energy (23%), per the COB’s Community Climate Action Plan, this AD system could pose a sustainable brewing solution to two growing strains on Central Oregon’s environment.

As this discussion progresses, Worthy will provide updates here and on social media.