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How do you go about making one of the world’s biggest breweries more sustainable?
In search of inspiration, Carlsberg’s Cheers to Green Ideas competition invited organisations, companies and members of the public to submit ideas about how to make Carlsberg beer more sustainable.
According to the brief, Carlsberg was looking for ideas that would help to improve the environmental impact of its beer – from production of raw materials, brewing and transportation all the way through to the recycling of packaging.
Carlsberg was also looking for ideas that would ‘inspire positive change in consumer behaviour to help drive a more sustainable future’.
Organisations, companies and members of the public in 33 different countries submitted a total of 162 ideas – and two winners have been announced at an awards ceremony in Paris.
‘The winning ideas are very different and show that beer sustainability can be improved in very different ways.
‘Interestingly, both winning ideas were inspired by Nature through bone-inspired design and algae-based wastewater treatment.
‘I look forward to exploring the winning ideas with our Carlsberg experts and the winners. We might, for example, be able to produce biofuel for our trucks from algae. It’s definitely an idea that warrants further investigation.’
Charlotta Lyon, Vice President for Sustainability at the Carlsberg Group
Aimed at established companies or entrepreneurs with a viable sustainability concept, the winner of the Cheers to Green Ideas award will receive $20,000 and a chance to collaborate with Carlsberg experts and partners in the Carlsberg Circular Community.
Guillermo Luque Consuegra and Michael Malott: Microalgae to produce biomass
Guillermo and Michael’s ‘Project Emerald’ is an idea that meets some of the technology challenges related to brewing. They suggest using microalgae in, for example, waste water treatment or the creation of biomass at Carlsberg’s breweries.
The jury described the winning idea as ‘surprising and truly inspirational, expanding the limits for what is possible within the brewing world’.
This award is geared towards fun, engaging ideas that can inspire us and other consumers to make beer more sustainable. The winner will receive $10,000 as well as the chance to refine their idea in collaboration with Carlsberg experts.
Søren Højland Boesen: Green Consumer Ideas
One of Søren’s ideas is to make beer caps that are either magnetic or made out of sustainable materials to encourage reuse and recycling – and to make the caps themselves fun and engaging for the user, rather than just another piece of metal waste.
Another idea is that beer crates should be lightweight to reduce the environmental impact and cost, while at the same time improving the design and consumer appeal.
The jury described Søren Højland Boesen as ‘an individual with exceptional passion and drive, exemplified by the fact that he submitted no less than five ideas to the competition’.
Click here to find out more about what Carlsberg’s doing to address sustainability.
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