A Newcastle brewery has upped its efforts to become more environmentally friendly after introducing biodegradable beer can holders.
Tyne Bank Brewery will now package its canned beers with eco-friendly six-pack holders as part of its plans to become more sustainable. The holders are made from recycled wood pulp, making them fully biodegradable, rather than the normal plastic.
The introduction of the new can holders extends the brewery’s commitment to environmentally-friendly business practices, following a recent switch in its can packaging from plastic to cardboard, while it donates used hops and malt grains to a farm at Backworth.
Founder Julia Austin said: “At Tyne Bank Brewery, sustainability is at the forefront of what we do.
“Whether you’re a brewer producing cans of beer or a consumer drinking them, we all need to commit to reducing single use plastic. We’re proud of doing our part in reducing the planet’s plastic waste problem and helping to reduce the long-term threat to the environment.”
Tyne Bank Brewery is known for producing a range of cask ales and craft beers, such as its Monument bitter, Equilibrium pale ales and its Northern Porter.
The brewery has also become a popular event space and recently partnered with The Artisan Baking Community, a local social enterprise, to encourage more businesses to become more aware of the impact they have on the environment.
Ms Austin added: “Our Brew and Bake workshops have proven really popular with several businesses in the area. They’re a fun team building experience where waste from our brewing process is collected and used to bake wonderful bread and any left-over bread is then used in our casks.
“It’s a full end-to-end sustainable workshop.”
Tyne Bank, which opened in 2011, has won contracts with the likes of the Co-op and P&O Cruises, which stocks its beers on all seven of its liners.
The brewery held one of the region’s most popular crowdfunding campaigns, bringing in more than £200,000 from supporters to help open its tap house on Walker Road in Newcastle.
