When it comes to consuming alcohol, there’s more than one way to drink responsibly. Many of us don’t consider the fact that our alcohol consumption could have a high carbon footprint. From the manufacturing process to what ingredients you choose, there are many ways in which your drinking habits can affect the planet. Below are some tips on how to drink more sustainably.
Support local breweries, distilleries, and wineries
Many of the beverages we drink come from other states or are imported from other countries. This results in a lot of carbon emissions.
When choosing to buy from local producers, these carbon emissions are greatly reduced as the beverage doesn’t have to travel so far to get to you.
Consider researching local breweries, distilleries, and wineries to see what is available to buy in your area. You may be able to buy these drinks in local stores or directly from the producer.
In some cases, it could be worth trying new types of beer or spirits. For example, there may not be any local rum or vodka producers, but you may have a bourbon distillery nearby. Experimenting with whiskey cocktails such as this paper plane cocktail recipe could open up your tastebuds to new drinks while reducing demand for imported goods.
Look out for beverages that strive to be green
Some producers go the extra mile to make their products eco-friendly. This includes using energy-efficient manufacturing methods, using organic ingredients, or giving proceeds to earth-friendly causes.
This list of sustainable beers is a good example. Choosing these beers could help to reduce your damage to the environment and possibly even go some way to undoing environmental damage.
Go vegan with your drinks
The meat and dairy industry has a huge negative impact on the environment. For many people, going vegan is not just a way of protecting animals, but also saving the planet from excess greenhouse gases.
Some people assume that all alcoholic beverages are vegan, but actually many aren’t. Some wines add extracts of egg or casein to reduce bitterness and browning. Meanwhile, animal extracts like honey and gelatin are sometimes added to beers.
By sticking to strictly vegan beverages, you can reduce any harm to animals and any harm to the planet. This includes alcoholic drinks and mixers if you like to have cocktails.
You can check whether a drink is vegan by looking it up online. There are also online guides that you can read through. Check out some of the best vegan wines here at this post.
Use less disposable plastic (such as cups and straws)
Do you often drink cocktails through a disposable plastic straw? Do you give everyone plastic cups whenever you have a house party?
These disposable plastics are often not biodegradable and some aren’t even recyclable. This means that they often end up cluttering landfill sites.
By using a reusable straw and sticking to glass or reusable plastic cups, you can help reduce your plastic waste.
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