This weekend I toured New Belgium Brewery in Fort Collins, and though I couldn't enjoy the tasting portion of the tour, I was struck by the company's commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship. So if you are looking to see environmental leadership from prominent companies, not to mention getting some free samples, I would suggest this free tour.
Our tour guide started off our journey through the brewery by explaining the companies beginnings — the owner, Jeff Lebesch, biked around Europe visiting breweries after a business trip in 1989. To me, that right there shows that even before the company took off, the owner, a Fort Collins native, was committed to sustainability.
That commitment remained strong as the company grew. New Belgium has 10 company values that they uphold. Number 4: "Kindling social, environmental and cultural change as a business role model." Number 5: "Environmental stewardship: Honoring nature at every turn of the business." Number 9: "Continuous, innovative quality and efficiency improvements." So three of the company values are centered around environmental and sustainable responsibility.
The list of New Belgium's actions toward environmental sustainability is extensive, from gifting their employees a bike on their one-year anniversary with the company to purchasing wind power credits. A full report of the company's environmental practices can be found in their Corporate Sustainability Report. The company even tracked the environmental impact of making one six pack of Fat Tire, full cycle in their "The Carbon Footprint of Fat Tire® Amber Ale."
New Belgium is a perfect example of a company committed to environmental sustainability not because it improves their image, but because it is honestly the right thing to do.
I love that they have such a commitment to the environment. They have such an out reach to the community as well. They donate money to fund so many great projects. Overall this is a great company!
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