Three ways to make your beer greener

It’s America Recycles Day, or as we call it, Monday.

To mark Monday, er, America Recycles Day, we wanted to spotlight a couple of simple things consumers can do to make our inefficient recycling system work a little bit better. (A hat tip to Milwaukee Magazine)

1.     Save up those PakTech can carriers. They are extremely difficult to recycle because many recycling facilities do not accept its high-density polyethylene handles. Many local breweries accept these carriers at their taprooms, and some even offer incentives to bring them in. Our friend, Eco-friendly Beer Drinker, is spearheading a broader reuse initiative in New England.

2.     Don’t toss individual bottle caps. Those steel bottlecaps are so small they can get missed at the recycling facility. Instead, consider condensing them into a steel can, like a soup or vegetable can, then crimping it together when it’s about half full.

3.     Unzip your cans. Some breweries wrap their cans in plastic labels, which can foul up the recycling chain. Luckily, these labels can be removed pretty easily.

Go, now, drink beer. But remember to recycle responsibly!