BetterBev Recognition Assessment Form

BetterBev Recognition Assessment Form

General Business Information
Business Name*
Your Name*

First NameLast Name
Your Email*
example@example.com
BetterBev Contact Email
example@example.com
Primary Business Address

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState / Province

Postal / Zip Code
Approximately what volume of beer do you produce a year? When proceeding to the questions that reference per barrel measurements, please ignore those that do not apply to your operation.

Raw Materials
What percentage of your grain/malt is locally (within 250 miles) or regionally sourced (within 500 miles)?
Score 1 point for every 10% of purchased grain or malt that is locally sourced, and 0.5 points for each 10% that is regionally sourced, up to 10 points maximum.
How much of your grain/malt is organically grown?
Score 1 point for every 20% of purchased grain or malt that is organic
What percentage of your hops are sourced regionally (within 500 miles)?
Score 1 point if any hops are regionally sourced, 2 points if 25-50%, 3 points if 50-75% and 4 points if above 75%
Do you brew special release beers that highlight local ingredients?
Score 1 point per yearly special release highlighting local ingredients, up to 4 points maximum
Do you take additional measures to increase efficiency, conserve raw materials?
Score 1-2 points per each innovative practice, depending on its impact, up to 4 points maximum
Please briefly list any raw material efficiency & conservation practices scored on the question above.

Water Use
For breweries that produce 1,000 bbls or less a year, is your water to beer ratio below the industry median of 17.7 to 1 (Source: BA)? If you operate in a situation where you are unable to track water use, please note this below.
17:1 to 10.1:1 = 2 points, 10:1 to 8.1:1 = 4 points, 8:1 to 6.1:1 = 6 points, 6:1 and below = 8 points
For breweries that produce between 1,000 and 10,000 bbls a year, is your water to beer ratio below the industry median of 7.5 to 1 (Source: BA)? If you operate in a situation where you are unable to track water use, please note this below.
7.5:1 to 6.1:1 = 2 points, 6:1 to 5.1:1 = 4 points, 5:1 to 4.1:1 = 6 1points, 4:1 and below = 8 points
For breweries that produce 10,000 -100,000 bbls or more a year, is your water to beer ratio below the industry median of 3.9 to 1 (Source: BA)? If you operate in a situation where you are unable to track water use, please note this below.
3.9:1 to 3.7:1 = 2 points, 3.6 to 3.4:1 = 4 points, 3.3:1 to 3.1:1 = 6 points, 3:1 and below = 8 points
Do you track water through metering or monitoring utility bills?
Score 1 point for annual tracking, 2 points for quarterly tracking, and 4 points for at least quarterly tracking AND setting reduction goals
Do you reuse any process water (ex: reuse final rinse water for other initial rinses)?
Score 2 points if any process water is reused, and score 4 points if a rinse water recycle loop is utilized
Do you have an ionized air rinsing system instead of a water rinse system?
Score 3 points if an ionized air rinsing system is installed
Do you have established Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for cleaning, and utilize high-pressure low-flow spray nozzles?
Score 2 points if either of these water conservation strategies are used
Are any other miscellaneous water conservation or efficiency measures taken?
Score 1 or 2 points per practice, depending on its impact, up to 4 points maximum
Please briefly list any water use efficiency & conservation practices scored on the question above. If you operate in a situation where you are unable to track water use, please briefly describe the situation here.

Wastewater
Are you aware of, and in compliance with all municipal wastewater regulation?
Score 2 points if you are aware of the regulations and in compliance and an additional 2 points if you know your water source & are proactively taking steps to protect it
Do you sidestream spent yeast and trub?
Score 2 point if you sidestream cold side yeast and trub. Score 4 points if you sidestream both hot side trub and cold side yeast and trub
Do you utilize any innovative practices to prevent wastewater generation or discharge (ex: sidestreaming weak wort, spoiled beer, or reusing dry hops)?
Score 2 points for each innovative practice
Please briefly list any innovative practices scored in the question above.
Do you capture cleaning and sanitizing (CIP) wastewater to neutralize the pH before discharging into a municipal system?
Score 2 points if pH is neutralized before discharge
Do you take any additional wastewater treatment measures?
Score 1 point for each additional side-streaming or treatment measure and 4 points if you have a full wastewater treatment system (must involve a biofilm reactor or the like)
Please briefly list any wastewater sidestreaming or treatment measures scored in the question above.

Energy & Emissions
Does any of your electricity come from renewable sources?
Score 1 point for each 10% of electricity that comes from renewable sources, up to a maximum of 10 points
Do you use any electric powered delivery vehicles or warehouse equipment (ex: forklifts, floor scrubbers, lawn care equipment)?
Score 1 point for each piece of electric warehouse equipment or company vehicles, and 2 point if EV charges are provided for customer & employee use, up to a maximum of 4 points
Do you use electric or steam hot water for brewing?
Score 3 points if steam is used for brewing and hot water generation (not direct fire), 4 points if steam is used for processing and electricity is used for hot water generation, and 5 points if electricity is the fuel source for both
Do you use efficient hot water heating: on demand tankless (if using gas), heat pump, or solar?
Score 3 points if using any of these technologies, score 0 if not
Do you have a CO2 recovery system or reuse any generated CO2?
Score 5 points if a full CO2 recovery system is installed. Score 2 points if spunding valves are used, Score 2 points if fermenter and brite tank head spaces are connected (must transfer with a pump vs. pressure for this to work)
For breweries that produce 1,000 bbls or less a year, is your CO2 to beer ratio below the industry median of 9.2 lbs/bbl (Source: BA)?
7:1 to 5.1:1 = 1 point, 5:1 to 3.6:1 = 2 points, 3.5:1 and below = 3 points
For breweries that produce between 1,000 and 10,000 bbls a year, is your CO2 to beer ratio below the industry median of 10.2 lbs/bbl (Source: BA)?
7:1 to 5.1:1 = 1 point, 5:1 to 2.8:1 = 2 points, 2.7:1 and below = 3 points
For breweries that between 10,000 and 100,000 bbls or more a year, is your CO2 to beer ratio below the industry median of 11.5 lbs/bbl (Source: BA)?
8:1 to 7.1:1 = 1 point, 7:1 to 6.1:1 = 2 points, 6:1 and below = 3 points
Do you use nitrogen in place of CO2 where possible during production?
Score 1 point for each of the following uses of nitrogen: pushing beer, purging tanks, maintaining head pressure, purging kegs
Do you have refrigerant monitoring technology installed, or practice regular refrigerant leak inspections?
Score 1 point if monthly refrigerant checks are done, 1 point if using floating head pressure controls, or 2 points if using floating head pressure controls and completing monthly leak checks OR a remote refrigerant monitoring system is installed
For the next question, you need to convert natural gas therms to kWh, and add it to your electricity use in kWh, to get your total energy use

1 Therm = 29.307 kWh
For breweries that produce 1,000 bbls or less a year, is your energy use (electric + natural gas) ratio below the industry median of 424 kWh+Therms/bbl packaged (Source: BA)? If you operate in a situation where you are unable to track either electricity or gas use, please note this below.
400:1 to 301:1 = 1 point, 300:1 to 251:1 = 2 points, 250:1 to 151:1 = 3 points, 150:1 to 91:1 = 4 points, 90:1 or below = 5 points
For breweries producing between 1,000 and 10,000 bbls a year, is your energy use (electric + natural gas) ratio below the industry median of 141 kWh+Therms/bbl (Source: BA)? If you operate in a situation where you are unable to track either electricity or gas use, please note this below.
120:1 to 109:1 = 1 point, 110:1 to 101:1 = 2 points, 100:1 to 91:1 = 3 points, 90:1 to 81:1 = 4 points, 80:1 and below = 5 points.
For breweries that produce between 10,000 and 100,000 bbls or more a year, is your energy use (electric + natural gas) ratio below the industry median of 81 kWh+Therms/bbl (Source: BA)? If you operate in a situation where you are unable to track either electricity or gas use, please note this below.
75:1 to 66:1 = 1 point, 65:1 to 56:1 = 2 points, 55:1 to 46:1 = 3 points, 45:1 to 36:1 = 4 points, 35:1 and below = 5 points
Do you any miscellaneous energy conservation strategies (ex: programmable thermostats, LED lighting, occupancy sensors, etc.)?
Score 2 points for each energy conservation strategy, to a maximum of 10 points
Do you perform regular proactive service and maintenance on HVAC and compressed air systems?
Score 1 point for each of the following: HVAC filters are inspected monthly and changed according to manufacturer recommendations/when dirty, air compressor pressure is set to minimum required & isolated when not in use, air system actively checked for leaks and leaks addressed in a timely fashion, and expansion tanks utilized at high points of use
Are there other miscellaneous energy efficiency or conservation measures in place?
Score 1 point for any innovative energy efficiency or conservation technique used up to 2 points total
Please briefly list any energy efficiency or conservation techniques scored in the question above. If you operate in a situation where you are unable to track either electricity or gas use, please briefly describe your situation here.

Cleaning & Sanitizing
Do you have Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for cleaning, sanitizing, and chemical storage?
Score 1 point per SOP, up to 2 points maximum
Do you use Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI) recommended cleaning products, or other less toxic alternatives?
Score 2 points if less toxic cleaning products have been tested and 4 points if they are being used
Do you use Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI) recommended sanitizing products, or other less toxic alternatives?
Score 2 points if less toxic sanitizers have been tested and 4 points if they are being used
Are your cleaning and sanitizing chemical dilutions standardized, and are you performing titration tests to verify dilution concentration?
Score 1 points if dilutions are standardized, score 1 point if titration tests are done to verify minimum effective concentration
Are your cleaning systems automatic & verified (ex: calibrated meters, regular manual titration)?
Score 1 points if cleaning is automatic and 1 point if verified
Do you reuse cleaning solution and sanitizing rinse?
Score 1 point each if sanitizer or cleaning solution is reused, up to 2 points maximum
Do you order cleaners and sanitizers in refillable containers?
Score 1 point each if sanitizer or cleaners are purchased in refillable containers, up to 2 points maximum
Do you take any other miscellaneous cleaning & sanitizing reduction or recycling measures?
Score 1 point for any innovative cleaning or sanitizing practices points (ex: transitioned away from phosphorous based products, acid under pressure, brite tank cleaning avoidance), up to 4 points maximum
Please briefly list any cleaning & sanitizing use reduction techniques scored in the question above.

Solid Waste
Are your spent grains used for animal feed, composting, anaerobic digestion, or other upcycled purposes?
Score 6 if used for local animal feed or upcycling, score 4 if used for a composter or anaerobic digester, and 0 points if sent to a landfill
For breweries that produce 1,000 bbls or less a year, is your solid waste to beer ratio below the industry median of 8.8 lbs of landfill/incinerator bound waste per bbl packaged (Source: BA)? If you operate in a situation where you are unable to track your solid waste, please note this below.
8:1 to 4.1:1 = 1 point, 4:1 to .8:1 = 2 points, .7:1 and below = 3 points
For breweries that produce between 1,000 and 10,000 bbls a year, is your solid waste to beer ratio below the industry median of 3.6 lbs of landfill/incinerator bound waste per bbl packaged (Source: BA)? If you operate in a situation where you are unable to track your solid waste, please note this below.
2.5:1 to 1.1:1 = 1 point, 1:1 to .2:1 = 2 points, .1:1 and below = 3 points
For breweries that produce between 10,000 and 100,000 bbls or more a year, is your landfill/incinerator bound waste to beer ratio below the industry median of .8 lbs of waste per bbl packaged (Source: BA)? If you operate in a situation where you are unable to track your solid waste, please note this below.
.7:1 to .4:1 = 1 point, .3:1 to .2:1 = 2 points, .1:1 and below = 3 points
Do you separate waste for reuse & recycling, with proper signage?
Score 1 point each for recycling, or composting and 4 points if source separating individual materials (single stream recycling leads to lower recycling rates than source separation)
Do you use reusable serving and drink-ware in your taproom, beer garden, and for events?
Score 1 point for each: taproom, beer garden, events up to 3 points maximum
Do you reuse any other items that would otherwise become single use waste?
Score 1 point if any other items/materials are reused (please list below)
Do you use electric hand dryers instead of paper towels in your bathrooms?
Score 1 point if using electric hand dryers (paper towels must not be offered as well)
Do you utilize any other miscellaneous waste reduction measure?
Score 1 point for any innovative waste prevention measure, up to 2 points maximum
Please briefly list any additional reuse item as well as waste reduction techniques scored in the question above. If you operate in a situation where you are unable to track your solid waste, please briefly describe your situation here.

Packaging & Materials
What percentage of you beer is sold on-premise as draft in refillable kegs?
Score 1 point for every 10% of beer that is sold on-premise in refillable kegs
What percentage of beer is served straight from brite tanks?
Score 1 point for every 25% up to 4 point maximum
What percentage of distributed beer is sold in refillable kegs?
Score 1 point for every 25%, up to 4 points maximum
What percentage of distributed beer is sold locally, within 250 miles?
Score 1 point for every 25%, up to 4 points maximum
Do you use pre-printed cans instead of shrink wrap or vinyl labels?
Score 2 points if more than 50% of cans use pre-printed labels. Score 1 point if less than 50%
Do you use a centrifuge to increase wort yield?
Score 3 points if using a centrifuge
Do you have a draft management system to minimize beer waste? (ex: BarTrack)
Score 3 points if using a draft management system
Do you sell beer to-go in refillable growlers/other refillable containers?
Score 2 points if beer to-go is available in reusable containers
Do you try to minimize your can carrier waste through strategies such as using alternative biodegradable carriers, or having a reuse or recycling program that includes a public drop-off option?
Score 1 point for a recycling program and 2 points if reusing can carriers or if you have transitioned to biodegradable options
Do you utilize any other miscellaneous packaging and materials reduction techniques?
Score 1 point for each innovative measure
Please briefly list any packaging and materials reduction techniques scored in the question above.

Environmental Culture
Do you have any sustainability credentials, such as B-Corp certification, 1% for the planet, etc., or is your brewery employee owned?
Score 4 points for any sustainability certification or if employee owned
Please enter any sustainability certifications scored in the question above.
Have you participated in the green beverage program and/or utility benchmarking?
Score 2 point for participation in the green brewery program, and 2 points if participating in benchmarking. Score 1 point if not participating in either program, but if employees are included in goal setting
Do you use certified sustainable products such as Safer Choice cleaners, or Forest Stewardship Council certified paper products?
Score 1 point for each certified sustainable product, up to 2 points maximum
Do you partner or collaborate with other environmental or conservation groups?
Score 1 point for each collaboration, up to 2 points maximum
Do you have a formal sustainability policy, education & training, and communicate this with staff?
Score 1 point if measures are taken but no formal policy and 2 if a formal sustainability policy exists and measures are taken
Do you take any measures to reduce driving by employees & customers, such as incentivizing carpooling or biking?
Score 1 point for each measure taken, up to 2 points maximum
Do you promote verifiable sustainability efforts on your website or social media?
Score 1 point if a sustainability mission statement is available to the public, and 1 point if you post sustainability efforts on social media, up to 2 points maximum
Do you take any other miscellaneous sustainability focused actions?*
Score 1 point for each innovative measure, up to 2 points maximum
Please briefly list any sustainability measures scored in the question above.

Submit Button (This banner is hidden to users, but don't delete it, it keeps the points and submit button visible)
Total Points Scored out of 229
Should be Empty:

BetterBev Recognition Assessment Form

For the next question, you need to convert natural gas therms to kWh, and add it to your electricity use in kWh, to get your total energy use