Tree House Brewing Company In Charlton Using Recycled Carbon Dioxide To Make Beer

CHARLTON (CBS) – Each time you crack a beer, you probably aren't thinking about climate change or saving the planet. The Tree House Brewing Company is doing just that.

Nate Lanier, co-founder and CEO of Tree House, told WBZ-TV the decision to install carbon capture technology at their Charlton facility was "literally a no-brainer".

"The truth is, no matter if you're a large or small brewery, you have an impact on the environment," Lanier said.

Carbon dioxide is naturally released through the beer fermentation process. CO2 is one of a few greenhouse gases that are contributing to our warming climate.

Dan Flick was in charge of implementing this project for Tree House. He says that thus far, they've collected about 1,500 pounds of CO2.

"We are hoping one day to be completely 100% recovered [CO2]," Flick said.

Instead of going to a blow-off bucket, CO2 is now captured and sent over to the Earthly Labs machine to be cleaned and reused.

This is a win-win situation for Tree House. They are saving money on avoid bulk delivery CO2 by recycling it. In the process, they are preventing it from going into the atmosphere.

The recycled CO2 is actually purer than the bulk delivery CO2 they receive.

"Earthly Labs has seen purity levels of 99.999%," Flick said.

Earthly Labs CEO Amy George said the general public probably doesn't think about CO2 as an ingredient like hops or barley, but it is.

Like many industries, breweries were affected by the supply chain crunch. Those using carbon capture technology were somewhat shielded from the rise in prices and lack of availability.

"We do see this as insurance, and we see it as the right thing to do," George said.

Flick said he believes this will eventually become an industry standard as breweries are just starting.

Lanier feels a deep sense of responsibility to the environment.

"We have to make sure we're thinking about the future and what are doing to mitigate our impacts," Lanier said.

Lanier added, "All we think about is being better each day. That mentality has led us to this."

Right now, the only beer Tree House is making with the recycled CO2 is the Fruit Project. In the coming months, all of their beers may be a bit greener.