Earth Day Is Tomorrow; Recycle Your Bottles

I am out of town today; so I am writing while on my trip to see the Chicago Cubs play at Wrigley Field! I want to make sure I have daily posts on this blog, so I just wanted to make a few notes about the importance of tomorrow. As our hobby involves the consumption and mixing of liquids that come in glass bottles, our ability to change our lifestyles, or educate others, about the recycling of glass bottles can make a dramatic impact on the environment.

Recycling just one beer bottle has the potential to save enough energy to boil 5 cups of water. Virtually every common type of alcoholic beverage bottle (beer bottles, wine bottles, and liquor bottles) can be recycled. Some people find recycling to be an inconvenience, but if you are consuming enough bottles to make recycling a burden, you might have other problems. Storing the occasionally emptied bottle in bins in the garage is easy and requires only a short walk in your home and a monthly trip to a recycling center, which can usually be found at a local grocery store.

If you work in a bar, the potential for making an impact is enormous. The Glass Packaging Institute (GPI) has created several online tools for helping bars change to environmentally friendly businesses. This may take some additional effort, but with the right structure bars can easily meet recycling goals. Additionally, GPI points out that bars that have implemented these procedures have been able to market themselves as ecologically focused businesses, providing another reason for customers to return. The benefits for recycling at your bar dramatically outweigh the disadvantages. Earth Day is tomorrow; make a change for the better!