Sustainable brewery Toast Ale is crowdfunding to launch its core range of craft beers in 330ml cans, alongside a new brand positioning and identity.
It has been working with Advance London, part of the London Waste and Recycling Board (LWARB), which provides free support to circular SMEs, and SMEs interested in developing circular models.
It has conducted research using Toast’s operational data to explore the lifecycle impact of glass bottles and aluminium cans. The research found that cans perform better in terms of emissions, storage efficiency and ease of recycling.
This has to be balanced, though, against the relatively high energy demand for recycling aluminium, and the environmental impact of extracting virgin aluminium.
Toast is also exploring packaging free options, with its beer available in reused steel kegs in pubs, bars, and currently part of the Waitrose Unpacked trial in Oxford.
A bolder vision for the beer industry’s role in tackling food waste
Toast Ale has upcycled more than 1 million slices of fresh surplus bread in its mission to fight food waste, and plans to rescue 1 billion slices.
Those who pledge to the crowdfunder will get the first-edition British cans and be the first to see Toast Ale’s new branding, as the business looks to present a bolder vision for the beer industry’s role in tackling food waste and its environmental impact.
If the crowdfunding campaign raises more than the £35,000 target, additional funds will also be put into a large-scale brand awareness campaign to help announce this new positioning.
• To find out more about the campaign, visit Crowdfunder
