Grand Bahama Island - Every time a Sands is sipped, a Strong Back is savored, a High Rock is relished, or a Triple-B is bought, the local community reaps benefits from the behind-the-scenes business practices of the Bahamian Brewery and Beverage Company of Freeport.  

The importance of local business support for the positive economic future and environmental health of our island has never been greater. The Bahamian Brewery and Beverage Company is leading the way in these areas with their outstanding commitment to reduce waste, support job growth, and give back to the local community.  

On the environmental front, the Brewery offers a bottle return program for all bottles that originate from their facility. In the month of December, 2009, over 9,000 cases of product were shipped using bottles that had been brought back to the brewery as part of their bottle return program. This equates to over 200,000 bottles that were saved from the fate of ending up in the GB landfill. As an added bonus, the bottle return program has decreased trash on our island’s streets as people have realized they can return the bottles to the brewery for $2/case. 

The environmental practices of the Brewery also benefit the community way beyond waste reduction. Each week, roughly 4 tons of “spent grain” is donated to local farmers. “Spent Grain” is a by-product of the beer brewing industry and can be used as a protein additive in animal feeds. Local farmers arrive daily at the brewery to pick up the “spent grian” that has accumulated from the previous day’s beer brewing cycle. This by-product which would normally be thrown away is helping to feed the island’s livestock and assisting farmers with decreasing their feed costs. Everybody wins. 

The brewery also donates all of their clean cardboard waste to local schools for Junkanoo costumes. As pallets of new bottles come in, the cardboard is neatly stacked and stored until the schools need the material. According to assistant brew master Lorenzo Johnson, the demand for this type of cardboard for costumes is greater than the supply, so the brewery is glad to donate what they have. 

The economic impacts of this successful growing company are too numerous too mention, and the life cycle of their products benefit everyone involved. As the Bahamian Brewery and Beverage Company grows, so does the number of employees who work at the local Freeport facility. From the cardboard that comes in, to the “spent grain” that goes out, to the bottles being returned, and all the jobs associated with manufacturing and distributing the product, truly the Bahamian Brewery and Beverage Company is a role model for our community. 

So next time you sip a Sands, or savor a Strong Back, or Relish a High Rock, or buy a Triple-B, know that you are helping the community and supporting many important initiatives associated with the life cycle of the Bahamian Brewery and Beverage company’s products.