The New Belgium Brewing (NBB) Company addresses several environmental issues, one of which is reducing the negative impact of cost-efficient energy-saving alternatives that it is causing on the surroundings. This issue has inspired the company to become one of the nation’s first breweries fully powered by wind turbines. However, the company treats its processed wastewater onsite, which is an ideal issue that helps the firm boost its production by 15% of the total energy needed (Grant et al., 2019). There is a reduction in the wastage of hot water used in boiling barley and hops. It is an issue reinvested in the form of a mist condenser where steam that arises helps to heat the floor tiles. Lastly, the firm takes measures to go green and provides diverse techniques which are successful for company satisfaction.
NBB has introduced the 3Rs of environmental stewardship to address environmental issues: reduction, recycling, and reuse. According to these strategies, the new Belgium brewing company uses a wind turbine to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The firm has featured on the purchase of an energy-efficient brew kettle that stores spent barley and hop grains, an issue that invites local farmers to pick up and feed their animals. The NBB has also made significant achievements at the sustainability level, leading to over 9% recycling waste products (Brian, 2021). Recently the firm has expanded its canning capacity more than five times, with the new caning line injecting less exposure to carbon. The company is willing to change its operation, leading to strategic environmental change. A portion of its profits ensures that there is a sustainable impact that creates variation in environmental interaction. NBB has shown corporate changes in strategic view based on how employees can create impactful outcomes on the environment level.
The company has a valid and robust focus on the environment, as its founder’s interests feature environmental and sustainable facts. Their value is firmly embedded in the company culture, allowing it to be less wasteful and adjust to stricter environmental legislation (Ferrell et al., 2022). Having a green image is competitive merit for many firms, allowing NBB to create strong values and effective environmental interaction. However, most of the set guidelines in sustainability pinpoint environmentally friendly measures that lead to the entire value chain’s success.
Strategic philanthropy in a company occurs when a firm targets its charitable efforts at a specific cause or knows there are outcome benefits from set efforts. In this case, NBB charitable acts have a relationship with drug and alcohol awareness due to the manner in which they sell their beer (Ferrell et al., 2022). The strategic philanthropy of this company creates an effective advertisement approach for other businesses where most of its factual events enable the firm to focus on the core part of the variation, which allows interception of drug and alcohol consumption.
Based on this case, NBB’s strategic philanthropy highlights more features and dangers of alcohol and drug consumption. In their advertisement, the firm informs potential customers and the public to drink responsibly because drinking can be harmful to human health. Such an action attracts confidence from the public as they are able to confirm that the firm understands the effects of what they are currently selling and the dangers associated with drug consumption. Support of this issue causes the company to face criticism and improve its image in the market. The way the firm creates socially responsible programs allows for innovation and success (Ferrell et al., 2009). The community is lured into embracing a change in drug and alcohol consumption by convincing people based on different trends and interests.
I believe the New Belgium Brewery’s actions are indicative of socially and ethically responsible cooperation for various reasons. NBB follows corporate citizenship strategies since its social initiatives and efforts minimize its negative impact on the environment. However, the New Belgium brewing company does not promote excessive beer consumption but advertises it as part of a healthy lifestyle where alcohol is enjoyed in moderation (Inyang, 2020). However, from the batch of beer brewed by the firm, NBB committed itself to one of the most sustainable companies, a decision that created a change in people’s mindset. NBB is a kind firm that inspires and helps different people change their economy in a viable and sustainable manner without no one caring about the outcome effect on drug addiction and consumption.
NBB should foster its ethical and responsible conduct based on environmental features and its surroundings, which creates an enactment of change in interaction and community level. According to this reflection, NBB has focused on incorporating environmentally sensitive and energy-saving features in the brewery process. The brewery is the first to be completed with wind-powered features and experiments with changes in reducing water consumption and waste (Brian, 2021). However, recycling and reusing waste products have created a more significant portion of its success. The brewery even donates barley and hop mash as leftovers from the brewing process to local farmers, allowing for company success and a change of indicative views.
References
Brian, P. (2021). New Belgium Brewing Interview | The carbon neutral toolkit. Porchdrinking.
Ferrell, O. C., John F., and Linda F. (2009). New Belgium Brewing: Ethical and environmental responsibility. In Business ethics: Ethical decision making and cases, 7th ed. (pp. 459-466). Business Insights: Global.
Grant, S. R., Wilson, D. R., Bertoldo, D. C., Allison, M., Bilisoly, A., Fischer, M., & Quesinberry, G. (2019). New Belgium Brewing Company breaks convention by selecting anaerobic membrane bioreactor technology. In WEFTEC 2019. Water Environment Federation. Web.
Inyang Jnr, E. (2020). Sustainable brewing: A study of sustainable brewing practices. [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. University of Calgary, Calgary, AB.