Running a green brewery begins with a plan. From having a mission that emphasizes a commitment to the environment, to tracking all the resources that go into making that perfect pint, a brewery needs to have an overall environmental management plan in place. The Iowa Green Brewery Certification takes into account a brewery’s planning and documentation of all things green. We have also created some easy-to-use templates in the Document Library for breweries to get started. The following are all of the categories considered as a part of the Environmental Management segment of our certification.

Tracking mechanisms in place (0-5 Points Possible)

____ Energy

____ Water

____ Wastewater

____ Waste generation rates

____ Inventory

Environmental Plan in place (0-12 Points Possible)

____ Documentation of process line inspection

____ Documentation of HVAC inspection/cleaning/filter replacement schedules

____ Documentation of plumbing inspection

____ Standard operating procedures (SOPs) for operational efficiencies

____ Documentation of brewhouse heat recovery protocols

____ Documentation of optimal operating temperatures for hot water heaters, HVAC, boilers, etc.

____ Documentation of stormwater best management practices-SWPPP or No Exposure

____ SOPs for wastewater recycling or reuse

____ SOPs for reducing solids in wastewater discharge

____ SOPs for spent grain diversion from landfill

____ Documentation of recycling plan

____ Documentation of annual waste audit

Assessment (4 Points Possible)

____ Annual assessment (internal or external) conducted to evaluate operating procedures and identify opportunities for improving environmental practices 

A policy/mission statement that supports the breweries commitment to environmental stewardship and communicate to employees and customers (0-3 Points Possible)

____ Policy/mission statement posted

____ Communicate to employees

____ Communicate to customers

The Iowa Green Brewery Certification was developed by the Iowa Waste Reduction Center at the University of Northern Iowa with the help of the Iowa Brewers Guild and a few breweries across Iowa. We appreciate the cooperation and help of J. Wilson from the Iowa Brewers Guild and the breweries for their insight and assistance to ensure this certification is beneficial for all breweries throughout the state.