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Red Hare craft beer debuts the Evercan

Novelis, a global leader in aluminum rolling and recycling, announced at the 2014 Craft Brewers Conference in Denver that Red Hare Brewing Company, an independent micro-brewer located in Marietta, Georgia, will launch the world's first commercial use of Evercan, the company's independently certified high-recycled content aluminum sheet for beverage cans. 

Red Hare craft beer packaged exclusively in cans made of Novelis' evercan aluminum sheet, which is made of a guaranteed minimum 90% recycled content, is expected to be in stores beginning May 2014 in key markets in south eastern US.

In August 2011, Red Hare starting selling its craft beer throughout the state of Georgia, and is now also available in South Carolina and Tennessee. Red Hare is the first craft brewery in Georgia to can its beer.

Phil Martens, president and CEO for Novelis commented: "Working with Red Hare, we have developed a proven supply chain to deliver this industry-first offering to consumers, setting an example that other beverage companies are sure to follow."

"Novelis' evercan is a perfect fit for Red Hare," noted Roger Davis, founder and CEO of Red Hare Brewing Company. "The independent certification of the closed-loop recycling process behind Evercan strengthens our commitment to employing the best in sustainable business practices." 

Red Hare Brewing Company, one of the fastest-growing micro-breweries in the US, selected the new aluminum as part of its commitment aimed at reducing the company's environmental footprint, while preserving the freshness and enhancing the taste of its finely crafted beer. Red Hare was the first craft brewery in Georgia to package its products in aluminum cans, following a trend in the micro-brewery industry to move from bottles to cans as a way to expand distribution and appeal to on-the-go consumers. Nearly 400 craft brewers in nearly every state in the US are canning more than 1,300 different beers.

"Novelis' Evercan is an excellent model for sustainability-based innovation, which will enable  beverage brands and retailers to advance their own sustainable packaging goals," said Stuart L Hart, S.J Johnson Professor Emeritus in Sustainable Global Enterprise, Cornell University, founder of the Enterprise for a Sustainable World and author of Capitalism at the Crossroads. "This introduction also serves as an important catalyst to educate other brand holders and consumers about the value of closed-loop aluminum recycling and engage them to take action themselves."

The aluminium is now available to beverage companies globally. Company facilities in North America, Europe, South America and Asia are now certified to produce Evercan by SCS Global Services, a recognised leader in environmental auditing. 

The company's efforts to increase the recycling of beverage cans is a key component of its strategy to dramatically increase the recycled content of its products across its global operations to 80% by 2020. Already the world's largest recycler of aluminum, Novelis has announced capital investments of approximately US$500 million over the last two years that will double its global recycling capacity to 2.1 million metric tons by 2015. Recycling aluminum requires 95% less energy, and produces 95% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than manufacturing primary aluminum.

 

14 April 2014 - Felicity Murray The Drinks Report, editor