According to a release, Cowbell Brewing Co. has passed its goal of carbon neutrality and achieved carbon positive results for 2020.

Cowbell’s initiatives include choosing sustainability which has been central to all planning and development at Cowbell since their inception. Through a comprehensive approach to passive conservation and building design and ongoing best of class operations, Cowbell is committed to efficiency, maintaining highly sustainable practices and reducing environmental impact.

Cowbell hired Enviro-Stewards to complete a sustainability assessment and carbon footprint analysis for 2020. Using Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard to define and quantify the Huron County company’s carbon footprint, Enviro-Stewards quantified Cowbell’s 2020 emissions and offsets resulting from its sustainability efforts.

“Accountability and transparency are at the heart of everything we do,” said Cowbell partner, CEO and president Randy Powell. “When producing our high-quality beverages, it is necessary for us to utilize natural resources and generate emissions. The climate crisis compels us to operate responsibly and truly commit to sustainability. We have achieved quantifiable progress in offsetting our carbon footprint and have now achieved carbon positive results.”

Cowbell’s facility in Blyth features the following green initiatives:

• • • A rectification boil system that increases the efficiency of Cowbell’s brew kettle by 80 per cent. More beer is brewed in less time, using less energy, while conserving 250 litres of water per brew.
    • Water used to make Cowbell’s premium craft beverages is sourced from an on-site well. The water is treated through a three-step filtration process, including particle filtration, carbon filtration and UV light), then wastewater is treated, removing 99 per cent of the organic load.
    • Cowbell’s packaging line cleans cans with zero-waste ionized air, rather than water, currently conserving about 10 million litres of water per year.
    • The Cowbell building is constructed from Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) certified wood products and renewable Canadian Douglas Fir, Pine, Oak and Hemlock, and other locally sourced, timeless materials.
    • Environmentally inert fiberglass and wood windows were installed throughout the building. The west-facing windows were coated to reduce the greenhouse effect by 80 per cent. Operable cupola windows provide natural ventilation via the stack effect and reduce the need for air conditioning in the summer. Ceiling fans reduce temperature stratification and reduce the heating and cooling load by 20 per cent.
    • All lighting fixtures are high-efficiency LED, with motion sensors to turn on lights only when required.
    • Low-flow fixtures throughout the building minimize the use of water and the effect on the on-site wastewater treatment plant.
    • The Cowbell Brewing parking lot features five electric vehicle-charging stations which are free to use by Cowbell guests.
    • Sections of green roof absorb solar radiation and rainwater, clean the air, and provide a habitat for butterflies, insects, and small birds.
    • Through a multi-year partnership with the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority, 28 acres at Cowbell have been reforested with 17,000 native species trees, pollinators, and fruit producers.