Craft Beer Packaged From Recycled Materials

The Marietta, GA-based craft beer maker Red Hare Brewing Company has switched from traditional packaging to a new Eco-friendly recycled packaging for its products.

According to a press release issued by the brewery, its new cans are made of a minimum of 90% recycled aluminum from the aluminum company  Novelis Inc. Surprisingly, this is the first time (that we know if) a brewery has decided to use a mostly recycled materials in its products — a move that could attract more of the environmentally conscious crowd of consumers.

Previously, the Red Hare Brewing Company packaged its products using standard aluminum, as many other brewers currently do. Novelis Inc. contacted the brewing company, however, inquiring about the use of its new Eco-friendly packaging materials.The two companies agreed to a deal that would allow Red Hare Brewing Company to begin packaging its products in Novelis’ Eco-friendly recycled materials.

“We’re working on the technical performance, the alloy chemistry of the can, as well as continuing to build up our recycling capacity. And in the next few years we will be at 100 percent recycled content,” said Novelis vice president and chief sustainability officer John Gardner.

So, what’s the new Eco-friendly can called? Novelis named its revolutionary new can evercan, with a lowercase e. The Scientific Certification Services labeled evercan as being the industry’s only can made of 90% or greater recycled materials. That’s a pretty significant title considering the hundreds of other beer and beverage cans on the market. Will this be enough to convince consumers to try out the products offered by Red Hare Brewing Company, though?

The truth is that standard aluminum cans are made with recycled materials as well. While they may not be quite as Eco-friendly as the evercan, they still contain at least some recycled materials. Percentages vary depending on the manufacturer, but a typical aluminum can (not the evercan) contains approximately 50-68% recycled materials.

Red Hare Brewing Company will likely use its new Eco-friendly packaging to market its products to environmentally conscious consumers. More and more people today are expressing concern for the environment, so it only makes sense for companies like Red Hare Brewing Company to embrace recycled materials. Perhaps this move will spur other breweries — big and small — to experiment with their own recycled materials.

What do you think about the new recycled can packaging? Let us know in the comments section below!