An analysis by Brett Menzel has shown that the environmental impact of home-brew beer is less than for beer purchased in glass stubbies or aluminium cans as a result of its relatively lower transported volume and weight, less packaging materials and the reusability of the PET final bottles.

The environmentally aware consumer is faced with a perplexing array of marketing and sales-driven product options in today’s retail outlets; options that will almost certainly have a range of different environmental impacts. 

For the Australian beer consumer, in addition to beer styles and alcohol strengths, there is a large range of packaging, volume and convenience-level alternatives. 

The analysis found that Home-brew offers the beer consumer a choice that has a lower life cycle environmental impact compared with glass stubbies and aluminium cans.  The relatively lower environmental impact results from lower transport weight and volume, the reusability and ultimate recycle ability of PET and the greater utility of the concentrate.

Home-brew beer is also the most economically favourable option although it is considerably more time consuming and less convenient than stubbies or cans and unfortunately convenience is more strongly marketed and sought after by the consumer than a lower environmental impact. 

References

Brezet, H. and Van Hemel, C. (eds.) 1997, Eco-Design: a promising approach to sustainable production and consumption, United Nations Environment Program, Paris.

Coopers 2008, Environment - water usage, Coopers Brewery Limited.  S.A. Retrieved March 8, 2008, from http://www.coopers.com.au/environment.php?pid=2

EcoRecycle Victoria 2004, Information sheet 7 - Glass.  Retrieved March 8, 2008, from http://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/resources/documents/Info_7_-_Glass.doc

The Aluminium can group n.d, retrieved March 9, 2008, from http://www.aluminium-cans.com.au/Facts2.html