Brewery Vivant is leading the sustainability movement in Grand Rapids with its commitment to incorporating sustainable practices into its operations. More than just a LEED-certified microbrewery, they have also established goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and encouraging sourcing from local Michigan companies. Their impressive results for 2021 are a testament to their dedication to environmental stewardship.
Grand Rapids is leading the sustainability movement with its craft breweries. Brewery Vivant is at the forefront of this initiative, by investing in local materials to build a sustainable community for all. Five other breweries and one brewpub are also influencing the way Grand Rapids looks at sustainability.
Sustainable Practices
Brewery Vivant and Broad Leaf Brewery & Spirits have shown their commitment to sustainability through their operations. Co-founders Kris and Jason Spaulding have made a lasting impact on the community by building Brewery Vivant, the world’s first LEED-certified microbrewery in 2012, which incorporated sustainable practices such as using solar panels to generate electricity, working towards zero waste to landfill and striving for an annual reduction in carbon footprint. Brewery Vivant has been certified as a B Corporation since 2014, further certifying its commitment to social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.
In 2021, the Spauldings formally committed their operations to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50% and energy intensity by 25% within 10 years. They also signed on to the Department of Energy’s Better Climate Challenge and Better Plants Challenge, and established goals for sourcing 50% of their food input and 25% of their beer input from Michigan. Impressive results were seen in 2021 when 79% of all purchases were made from Michigan-based companies and Brewery Vivant acquired 62% of its food input from Michigan – surpassing its goal.
The operation also donates 1% of its sales to local charities, as part of their commitment to giving back to the community. With a mission of sustainability and charitable giving since its founding in 2012, Mitten Brewing Co. is proud to be making an impact on the local economy and environment.
Supporting Local Schools and Organizations
Mitten Brewing Co. is committed to giving back to the community. Through The Mitten Brewing Foundation, co-owners Chris Andrus and Max Trierweiler have raised an impressive $350,000 for area nonprofits since the brewery’s opening in 2012. This money has been donated to local schools and organizations to support their causes. Every month, a different organization is chosen and featured at the brewery to bring attention to their cause and fundraise for it. By partnering with these organizations, Mitten Brewing Co. is helping to amplify the voices of their neighbors and make a positive impact on the community.
In 2022 alone, Mitten Brewing Co. staff logged over 250 volunteer hours and raised an impressive $68,000 to be used for local initiatives such as Richmond Park accessibility improvements, holiday groceries and gifts for families in need, resources for Westside teen mothers, programming to break the generational cycle of incarceration, aid for the transgender community to build equality, free meals for food-insecure neighbors, and the preservation of black baseball in Michigan. Additionally, they prioritize sustainability within their establishments, using renewable resources for napkins, straws, and to-go products. Through their generous efforts, Mitten Brewing Co. has become a leader in their industry and a pillar of their community.
BarFly’s Commitment to Sustainability
BarFly Ventures, which operates Grand Rapids Brewing Co. and HopCat (with locations in Downtown and Knapps Corner), is an exemplary example of sustainability in action. With its waste elimination efforts and partnerships with sustainability nonprofits across the country, BarFly was honored as the Sustainable Business of the Year by the West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum in 2017. Its 2018 Sustainability Report noted the company’s donation of more than $85,000 to local charities and nonprofits that year, and since its restructuring in 2020, BarFly has continued to remain committed to leaving the world a better place. In 2022, the company donated an additional $35,000 to local organizations that promote sustainable education, conservation, water safety, food accessibility, housing solutions, and public schools.
BarFly is also a founding member of multiple sustainable-focused organizations, including the U.S. Green Building Council’s Grand Rapids 2030 District and the Great Lakes Business Network. Most recently, Founders Brewing Co. launched their giving platform The Big Pitcher to give back to meaningful causes that the brewery is passionate about.
Environmental Sustainability
Founders Brewing Co. is a shining beacon of sustainability and charity in Grand Rapids, setting an example for other businesses to follow. In 2022, the brewery composted 48,000 pounds of waste per month, diverted 99% of its waste from landfills, and sent 24 million pounds of spent grain from its production processes to local farms for animal feedstock and to make Beer City Dog Biscuits. Furthermore, Founders has reduced their overall consumption of energy by 24%, as well as their water consumption by 22%. These efforts are so noteworthy that the city of Grand Rapids constructed a bio-digester at its Water Resource Recovery Facility which converts food waste into energy from nearby Founders, SET Environmental facilities, and other sources.
The Big Pitcher, Founders’ corporate giving platform, has donated over $590,000 to local, regional, and national causes since its creation. Additionally, over $40,000 of that donation was generated by employee matching contributions. Together with the Arbor Day Foundation, Founders and The Big Pitcher have committed to planting 50,000 trees in 2022 to restore forests across the United States. Through their dedication to social equity, the environment, and arts & culture, Founders is leading the way for businesses everywhere to give back to their communities.
Grand Rapids is leading sustainable efforts through its craft breweries, exemplified most prominently by Brewery Vivant. Its commitment to sustainability has inspired other restaurant businesses and brewers to follow suit. As a sign of just how successful their operations have been, within one year they have already far exceeded their goals in reducing their greenhouse gas emissions, and energy usage, and diverting food waste away from landfills. It is hoped that these inspiring initiatives will show other cities and businesses the potential for creating long-lasting leadership in environmentalism.
