Some businesses are turning the tide on plastic by modeling reuse and advocating for policy changes that will reduce the flow of single-use plastics.
Oceana is telling some of their stories through a blog series: Businesses Breaking Up with Plastic. These companies are tackling the plastic pollution crisis by phasing out foam and other single-use plastics from their operations or building the infrastructure and market for alternatives, proving that solutions not only exist but work.
This month, for Plastic Free July, Oceana sat down with Chris Goulet, the managing partner of Birdsong Brewing in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Tell us about your business. How did you get started?
Birdsong Brewing Company is a craft brewery located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Opened in 2011 with a group of close friends, we’re known for our unfiltered beer, our sustainability efforts, and our local charitable contributions. To name a few initiatives, we generate our own electricity with 220 solar panels on our roof, we create our own nitrogen gas to eliminate thousands of pounds of CO2 each year, we donate grain to local farms for livestock feed, and we conserve water in our brewing process.
Birdsong distributes across all of North and South Carolina. Wilmington, North Carolina is one of our top markets, and the Outer Banks is our newest. We love the coast and want to see the coast thrive.
Has your business been foam-free and reduced reliance on single-use plastics from the start?
Yes, we have never used plastic foam in our brewery products. We only use glassware in the taproom, even on busy event nights when plastic cups could reduce breakage and save staff time on glass runs and washing. Additionally, we don’t offer to-go water cups to reduce single-use plastic. We also make efforts to reduce waste by using recycled paper bags for our merchandise.
Why was it important to keep plastic foam out of your business operations?
Plastic foam is a long-lasting pollutant with almost no accessible recycling programs. In addition, its minimal weight causes it to be much more likely to end up as litter in local streets and nearby waterways.
In addition to not using plastic foam in our facility, we also worked with our food truck vendors to eliminate foam packaging. In 2022, we installed an outdoor power station for our food truck partners — in exchange for them getting to use free “dock” power and save on fuel, we asked them to avoid plastic foam and use only recyclable or paper serving materials. We removed food trucks from our rotation who did not comply with our foam-free request. It feels as though we’ve gained a reputation for our sustainability and our food truck partners and customer base have similar values.
By phasing plastic materials out of your operations, you’re already doing a lot to be a part of the solution. Why is it important to advocate for policy change, too?
It’s a big part of our philosophy; do our part for the environment and run our business conscientiously. If we have the ability to reduce our footprint as a business in a large city, we want to make as much effort as we can to do so and lead by example.
While there’s not a ban on polystyrene in our town or state, we’d support one as well as a national ban. We might be doing our part, but it’s important to advocate for policy change so more people can be aware. You don’t know what you don’t know. But if we can be part of the change to educate others on how simple it can be to make small changes, we want to be a part of that.
What does being part of the solution mean to your customers?
Our customers know our brand, and I’d like to believe that supporting us makes them feel better about being part of the change.
We are a small brewery in a large city where most businesses are out to make a buck and have a successful business. Not many also consider what effect they’re having on the environment. We try to act as a role model and inspire change amongst our peers.
What does being part of the solution mean to your local community?
We love getting involved in our local community. Our philosophy is simple: do our part for the environment and run our business conscientiously. Once a month we choose a local group to support our “drink for a cause events.” These groups vary from local nonprofits and community organizations with a focus on sustainability to arts and culture, to community development, to water conservation and preservation, as well as environmental causes and animal rescue.
What advice would you give to other businesses interested in taking action to reduce plastic pollution?
Talk to other businesses you see that are making the changes and see how we can create positive change together.
It’s Time to Say ‘Farewell to Foam’
Oceana and its allies are pleased to support the federal Farewell to Foam Act, which would phase out the sale and distribution of polystyrene foam foodware, disposable coolers, and loose-fill packaging (packing peanuts) nationwide. Many states across the country have begun to phase out this material, and science shows that these policies protect the environment from plastic foam pollution. Now, we need Congress to take action to protect all our country’s environments and communities.
If you’re a business owner interested in advocating for change, join Oceana’s National Business Coalition for the Oceans today.
You can learn more about Birdsong Brewing on their website birdsongbrewing.com or by following on Instagram and Facebook @birdsongbrewing.
