Empty isn’t necessarily the end for a #beer #bottle: Sonoma County’s @ConsciousContnr launches pilot effort to collect, clean, #reuse 16,000 bottles of @MichelobULTRA Pure Gold and @ElysianBrewing Space Dust #IPA. https://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/article/article/empty-isnt-necessarily-the-end-for-a-beer-bottle-sonoma-countys-consciou/

Companies stopped #reusing #bottles on a large scale basis in the United States in the mid-1900s when consumer preferences changed, making #recycling less attractive. Now they are rethinking that business model, knowing that reusable bottles is cost efficient.

. @AnheuserBusch reuses bottles in Mexico, Canada, Europe, Brazil and South Africa. Other companies, like @CocaCola and @PepsiCo, also are refilling bottles in other countries. However, it is no longer a popular concept in the United States.

According to the @EPA, three-quarters of #glass #bottles purchased in the United States are not #reused in any manner, including being #recycled. In 2018, 7.6 million tons of glass containers ended up in a #landfill.

When a system like Conscious Container ( @ConsciousContnr) is fully operational, the #carbonfootprint for a bottle can be reduced by 95%. “Thirty percent of #carbon dioxide in one bottle is in the container alone.”