Denver Beer Co. launches major sustainability plan

By Steve Graham

Your next Princess Yum Yum will be flavored with sun-ripened raspberries and canned with sun power.

As of Oct. 1, Denver Beer Co. (DBC) is powering its Canworks canning facility with 100-percent sun power, so 4 million cans of beer, including the Princess Yum Yum Raspberry Kolsch, can be produced without fossil fuels.

The switch is part of a broad new sustainability plan for DBC that also includes more recycling and composting.

The Canworks plant is powered by a new 258-kilowatt solar array from Independent Power Systems.

“The new solar array from IPS is amazing. Using only 100-percent clean solar power, we will be able to produce 4 million cans of beer each year,” said co-founder Charlie Berger. “That's the equivalent to the utility NOT burning 330,096 pounds of coal per year. Clean energy is the future and we are proud to be a part of the movement.”

DBC hopes the new initiative attracts customers while it saves money in the long run.

“We hope that people might be more likely to choose our (beer) knowing that it is produced with clean energy,” said co-founder Patrick Crawford. “Adding solar was really a no-brainer. In addition to being clean energy, the system will pay for itself in energy savings within just a few years.”

DBC also cranks up its composting game this month. Brewery events will now use compostable cups, and on-site food trucks will be required to use compostable dishware and cutlery. Scraps Mile High, a bike-powered compost collection program, will partner with DBC to divert all that compostable waste from the landfill.

The brewery also is trying to recycle more materials internally. They join Great Divide and five other local breweries in a grain bag recycling partnership. Great Divide won a state grant this year to buy a baler and compactor for grain bags, and will collect grain bags from other local breweries, allowing for more recycling.