MAUI BREWING OPTS FOR FULLY RECYCLABLE ECO-FRIENDLY PACKAGING
I’m currently working on a five-part series called The CO2 Shortage focused on, you guessed it, the ongoing regional shortage of beverage-grade CO2 across the country for craft breweries. Maui Brewing Co. has a lot to say in almost every part of the series, which will be released over the next two weeks. In between all the CO2 talk, Kim Brisson-Lutz , vice president of operations, also talked about some of Maui Brewing’s green and high-tech CO2 recapture devices.
“When producing on an island, our CO2 supply is always limited,” Brisson-Lutz said in the next story. “So we invested and continue to invest in a system to help offset the dependence we have on our suppliers. We have a CO2 recovery system and will be installing a new technology called AirCapture to also produce CO2 for our facilities.”
Based in Oakland, AirCapture is a leader in the direct air capture industry. The company’s modular on-site DAC units harvest CO2 from air or fermentation tanks, then make it available on demand for use in everything from breweries to greenhouses. I highly recommend listening to Bob Wilson, co-founder and head of sales and strategy at AirCapture, talk about the technology right here. Maui has also invested in Pentair’s CO2mpactBrew CO2 recovery plant. This recapture unit reduced Maui’s CO2 emissions by more than 600,000 pounds in the first year alone, according to founder Garret Marrero in this case study. Of course, CO2 recapture units are just the beginning of Maui Brewing’s green business practices.
Maui Brewing Solar
Maui Brewing became the first completely off-grid brewery in the entire United States when it completed a four-year solar installation in 2019 (pictured above). Solar panels cover the roof of its 85,000-square-foot production facility. Maui Brewing regularly ships spent grain to livestock farms. The island’s brewery even makes small, grassroots green efforts, like putting together these cool beach cleanup kits to keep the coastline clean. Most recently, Maui Brewing announced that it is transitioning to new, more recyclable packaging for all of its products, not just limited to craft beer, but also including Maui Brewing’s Island Sodas, Maui Hard Seltzer and Kupu Spirits.
Maui Brewing is moving from those nasty plastic rings to 100 percent recyclable cardboard cartons made from sustainably managed forests in the southeastern United States and containing up to 15 percent recycled content. Coated Natural Kraft (CNK) board is fully recyclable and is designed to withstand the rigorous packaging conditions associated with beverage products entering and exiting refrigeration.
According to the press release, while the company had begun investigating the change in 2019, a large capital expenditure was required to purchase new equipment, move existing machinery and create new space for the equipment, including a two-story mezzanine, as well as install and train teammates in operation and maintenance. Since the launch:
“We are very excited to showcase the new packaging to our fans,” stated MBC founder and CEO Garrett Marrero. “We are always looking to promote our commitment to the community and the environment, and Maui’s new packaging demonstrates that. Our fans have been asking, and we’re proud to deliver on our commitment to sustainability and our investment in Hawaii. I’m also beyond excited about what our marketing team put together; these look great on the shelves.” The new packaging has already found placements on the shelves of Maui Brewing’s retail partners.
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