What is sustainable brewing?  What is eco-fashion?  What are eco-friendly products?

As we learned in core strategy, maintaining a sustainable competitive advantage is the only way to succeed in the long-term.  So, why would you choose anything else but a sustainably brewed beer?  Or sustainably sourced materials and clothing?  It’s not as hard as you think to reduce your carbon footprint while enjoying the lifestyle to which business school has made you accustomed. 

On average, the production of one barrel of beer requires 1500 gallons of water and 50kWh of energy (or 2300g of carbon).  That means that a 12 oz. can of beer uses 2.8 liters of water and 9g of carbon.  Because of this, many breweries are beginning to make changes to their production processes in order to lower their carbon footprints.  For instance, Brooklyn Brewery in New York City (the exclusive beer sponsor of Think Social, Drink Local) was one of the first breweries to run its plant solely on wind power.  New Belgium Brewing Company (Fat Tire) in Colorado recovers heat created during the fermenting process to generate hot water for brewing and cleaning tanks and is working towards a 20% reduction in its water use.  Sustainable brewing is lowering and trying to eliminate a carbon footprint while providing all of us with delicious beverages.

Another startling fact: over 8000 chemicals are used to turn raw materials into textiles and 25% of the world’s pesticides are used to grow non-organic cotton.  Eco-fashion aims to produce articles that consider environmental and social impact throughout the life of the garment.  According to Vogue magazine, eco-fashion isn’t a short-term trend.  Portland Fashion Week has been producing a 100% eco-friendly fashion week for the last five years.  This trend is continuing to draw attention with designers like Stella McCartney, Rogan Gregory, Peter Ingwersen and Bono all developing socially conscious and environmentally friendly fashion.  Simply considering what materials you purchase can impact your carbon footprint and make you more socially responsible.

Reducing your own carbon footprint and paying a little bit more attention to sustainability is a lot easier than you think.  As SEA’s annual Think Social, Drink Local draws closer, take an opportunity to learn about some local companies and products striving to do just that.  Keep an eye out for videos and articles that profile our event sponsors, and explore sustainability and social enterprise in the workplace.

By Alisa Baker (Stern ‘10)