Brick Lane Brewing achieves B-Corp certification

Brick Lane Brewing is now B Corp certified, one of a handful of Australian breweries and distilleries to hold the global standard certification.

The announcement last week coincided with The Sydney Morning Herald's Sustainability Summit at which Deputy Chair ACCC, Delia Rickard outlined the organisation's plan to target 'greenwashing' by businesses.

Ms Rickard cited a 2020 review from ICPEN, the International Consumer Protection Enforcement Network which found that 40 per cent of environmental claims were potentially misleading and required further investigation. The ACCC will soon be commencing an internet sweep of various environmental claims made by Australian businesses.

She said: "Unfortunately, the ACCC is hearing growing concerns that some businesses are falsely promoting environmental or green credentials to capitalise on changing consumer preferences...

"The ACCC is actively monitoring green claims in the market and will be considering what steps can be taken to improve their integrity."

She suggested that certification from highly regarded bodies are worth pursuing. These include certifications such as B Corp from the US-based not-for-profit B Lab, the Australian Government's Climate Active and Sustainable Winegrowing Australia as well as sustainability linked loans.

Brick Lane Managing Director, Paul Bowker, said B Corp Certification validated the sustainability path that the brewery has followed since producing its first can of beer in 2018. 

“Sustainability is no longer a negotiable for any organisation that wants to be taken seriously and from Day 1 Brick Lane has benchmarked itself against the highest standards of environmental and social impact. Becoming a B Corp shows we are on the right track,” Mr Bowker said. 

“Embedding sustainability throughout brewing operations is a journey of continuous improvement and our ambitions go above and beyond the rigorous requirements of B Corp Certification. Ultimately we’re working toward eliminating carbon emissions entirely from beer production by 2025"

Brick Lane's $50 million investment into a state-of-the-art facility in Melbourne was purpose-designed to minimise the environmental footprint in an industry that is traditionally water and energy intensive.  The brewery also commenced installation of a 375kW solar project at the Melbourne site which will supply 27 per cent of Brick Lane’s energy requirements and save 374 tonnes of annual CO₂ emissions. By the end of 2023, Brick Lane expects to be using 100 per cent renewable electricity, to have reduced fugitive CO₂ emissions by 50 per cent and to be certified carbon neutral. 

Initiatives include:

• Reducing the ratio of water used to beer produced by 40 per cent
• Using only fully recyclable packaging across all Brick Lane and partner brands 
• Reducing both the electricity and natural gas consumed per unit of beer produced by more than half since 2019.
• Moving from artificial to natural refrigerants, eliminating green house gas and ozone depletion potential from refrigeration gasses. 
• Directing spent grain – the largest waste product in brewing – to farmers in the Greater Melbourne area for use as animal feed. Brick Lane currently diverts 99.3% of solid waste generated away from landfill. 

B Corp certification is rigorous and ongoing. Mr Bowker explains, "The work doesn’t stop – B Corp Certification is a continuous process and like all B Corps we are accountable for our ongoing performance against its benchmarks,” Mr Bowker said. 

“We’re now focused squarely on eliminating carbon emissions from our operations and the electricity we consume to achieve ‘true zero’ brewing. Among other things, that will be supported by significant investment in renewable energy to drive production.” 

For a full transcript of Ms Rickard's speech and to understand how your business can avoid greenwashing, click here.