NEW YORK (February 9, 2021) – Today, Brewers Collective, the craft business unit of Anheuser-Busch, announced a national partnership with innovative recycling company TerraCycle to promote the proper recycling of personal protective equipment (PPE).
Brewers Collective has installed TerraCycle Zero Waste Boxes, specially intended for single-use masks and gloves, at 18 craft breweries across the U.S. Once the boxes are filled, they will be returned to TerraCycle for recycling. The collected PPE will be cleaned, melted, and processed into a raw material that can be used to make new products, such as composite decking, outdoor furniture, and reusable shipping pallets.
The decision to focus on PPE recycling emerged from the continued widespread public use of protective equipment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, Johns Hopkins University estimated that the U.S. was using an average of 45 million masks per day, most of which are not approved for traditional recycling bins. As PPE usage continues, community streets, parks, and beaches are being littered with single-use gloves and masks, which poses a dangerous contamination risk.
“Sustainability has always been a core focus for our company and our craft brewery partners, and this past year presented a new and unique set of environmental challenges for our industry overall. By partnering with TerraCycle, we are addressing the very time-sensitive issue of safely recycling our brewery PPE, while also creating a solution that supports the larger community,” said Marcelo “Mika” Michaelis, president, Brewers Collective, Anheuser-Busch.
In addition to installing Zero Waste Boxes, select breweries will also be promoting broader community awareness of proper PPE recycling through local “Pints for PPE” efforts at their brewpubs. “Pints for PPE” offers refreshing incentives, such as gift cards or merchandise, for consumers who bring their used PPE into local participating brewpubs. Details and timing of local “Pints for PPE” events will be shared on participating breweries’ social channels.
“TerraCycle’s mission has always been to ‘Eliminate the Idea of Waste’ and provide solutions for items that seem difficult to recycle, such as disposable masks and gloves,” says Sue Kauffman, TerraCycle’s North American Public Relations Manager. “Through the launch of this recycling initiative, Anheuser-Busch’s Brewers Collective is leading the industry by doing its part to tackle the growing impact of PPE waste in local communities and helping create a more sustainable world for future generations.”
The following breweries are participating in the TerraCycle Zero Waste Box program, either via boxes deployed at the brewery, the “Pints for PPE” pub initiative, or both.
This new partnership with TerraCycle expands on Brewers Collective’s ongoing investments in the long-term health of our environment and our communities, as well as Anheuser-Busch’s broader sustainability goals for 2025 which focus on Renewable Electricity and Carbon Reduction, Smart Agriculture, Water Stewardship, and Circular Packaging. For more information on these ambitious goals, please visit: https://www.anheuser-busch.com/community/environment.html
About Brewers Collective
Brewers Collective, the craft business unit of Anheuser-Busch, is on a mission to energize how people view, consume and experience beer. We have an unwavering devotion to our beer, brands, people, and communities and are on a continued pursuit of making the next beer our best one yet. We believe that quality is not an exception, innovation is a standard, and that everyone is welcome within the world of beer.
About Anheuser-Busch
For more than 165 years, Anheuser-Busch has carried on a legacy of brewing great-tasting, high-quality beers that have satisfied beer drinkers for generations. Today, we own and operate more than 120 facilities, including breweries, wholesaler distribution centers, agricultural facilities and packaging plants, and have more than 19,000 colleagues across the United States. We are home to several of America’s most recognizable beer brands, including Budweiser, Bud Light, Michelob ULTRA and Stella Artois, as well as a number of regional brands that provide beer drinkers with a choice of the best-tasting craft beers in the industry. From responsible drinking programs and emergency drinking water donations to industry-leading sustainability efforts, we are guided by our unwavering commitment to supporting the communities we call home. For more information, visit www.anheuser-busch.com or follow Anheuser-Busch on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
About TerraCycle
TerraCycle is an innovative waste management company with a mission to eliminate the idea of waste. Operating nationally across 21 countries, TerraCycle partners with leading consumer product companies, retailers, and cities to recycle products and packages, from dirty diapers to cigarette butts, that would otherwise end up being landfilled or incinerated. In addition, TerraCycle works with leading consumer product companies to integrate hard to recycle waste streams, such as ocean plastic, into their products and packaging. Its new division, Loop, is the first shopping system that gives consumers a way to shop for their favorite brands in durable, reusable packaging. TerraCycle has won over 200 awards for sustainability and has donated over $44 USD million to schools and charities since its founding more than 15 years ago and was named #10 in Fortune magazine’s list of 52 companies Changing the World. To learn more about TerraCycle or get involved in its recycling programs, please visit www.terracycle.com.
