College students are known for their inspiring idealism and frugality. Yet, when it comes to our night (or day) time buzz, idealism fades to apathy, and frugality morphs into extravagance. Don't tell me you've never regretfully looked at your account balance on Saturday morning. But, before the buzz hits in and good judgement is still within reach, we can make decisions that protect both our virtuosity AND our bank accounts.
Inspired by a conversation I had tonight, I decided to look into the pros and cons of cans vs a keg. It may seem like the obvious winner, on both fronts, is a keg. BUT, it's not so simple.
Yes, a keg is reusable. It can serve almost 27,000 12oz beers in it's lifetime. It's constant reuse makes it a great choice. If everyone were using glass cups or reusing Solo cups, it would be a done deal. Unfortunately, Solo cups are not only used once but are also made of polystyrene (#6), which is next to impossible to recycle. The closest place to Evanston that picks these cups up is in Rolling Meadows (17 mi away). Check your area here.
Aluminum, on the other hand, is practically perfect. While one can requires around 8.5x more energy to produce, each recycled can saves 95% of the energy needed to make a new one. Beer by the can is also a clear winner in terms of cost and convenience (see below)
Prices are based on Keystone Light from Evanston 1st Liquors 3/01/11. Here is a comparison in terms of sustainability. Keep in mind though, that plastic is lighter than aluminum, so it will be less energy intensive to transport.
If you are planning on recycling, cans are the clear winner both Earth and pocket-wise. However, the best choice is always to brew your own beer and reuse old glass bottles. It reduces waste and transportation. If that sounds like a pain, go out and hit the tap (glasses only)!
I really enjoyed this post! It made me feel like drinking and learning at the same time. Not only was I surprised about the energy savings, but I had always assumed a keg would be cheaper. I'd be kind of interested to know if the cost savings would remain comparable for different types of beer. Awesome job on this! =D
ReplyDeleteI have always wondered this! I am so glad I don't have to do the research, great post!
ReplyDeleteNice post. Homebrew! Have you actually figured out if that's better? I feel like I had to mail order supplies, run my stove for a long time, and use a ton of fresh water. But I guess large breweries are doing that too. But they probably have some efficiencies of scale?
ReplyDeleteTrue. Home brewing is probably not the best option. If you want to make it more sustainable, you can buy your supplies at local hardware stores, grow your own hops, and use rainwater, like these folks: http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/environmental-impact-homebrewing-144617/.
ReplyDeleteThe major benefit from home brewing comes from avoiding packaging and transporting beer, which can be shipped thousands of miles. Nevertheless, getting beer in growlers from a local brewery provides the same benefit while also having large-scale efficiency. Good call.