Known for its creativity, community spirit and commitment to quality, 4 Hands Brewing Co. extended that same passion to sustainability in 2024 by joining the St. Louis Green Business Challenge. What began as a goal to improve energy efficiency and reduce waste has evolved into a company-wide dedication to environmental responsibility — an effort the Clean Air Partnership is proud to spotlight this month.
“The Challenge was a great catalyst to organize our sustainability efforts with a 4 Hands Brewing Green Team,” said Tom Sounders, Sustainability Manager for 4 Hands Brewing Co. “Challenge staff guidance gave us direction, purpose and accountability. Our department heads see their role and the teams they lead through a new lens, one where environmental sustainability projects can reduce operational costs and provide ROI. We’re building momentum towards sharing our internal sustainability journey with the market in the future.”
During the Challenge year, 4 Hands formed a Green Team to integrate sustainability into daily operations across all departments. Their efforts have led to measurable progress in energy savings, waste reduction and greenhouse gas management.
The brewery tapped into Ameren Missouri’s energy efficiency incentives to install three new rooftop air conditioning units with higher energy ratings, which helped cut power use and improve comfort. A lighting audit with Graybar also identified opportunities to upgrade all fixtures to high-efficiency LEDs, with an expected payback period of just 2.5 years.
Waste reduction was another key Challenge priority, with 4 Hands introducing single-stream recycling, partnering locally to recycle plastic can carriers, switching to 100% recycled office paper and adopting a no-idling policy for delivery trucks to reduce emissions.
In addition, the brewery completed a 2023 Greenhouse Gas Inventory using tools from the World Resources Institute, Beverage Industry Environmental Roundtable (BIER) and New Belgium Brewing, establishing a baseline for future emissions tracking. They also participated in a Sustainability Assessment with Missouri State University to support the development of the Missouri Green Brewers Association.
By taking part in the St. Louis Green Business Challenge, 4 Hands Brewing Co. is showing that great beer and environmental stewardship can go hand-in-hand.
To learn more about 4 Hands Brewing Co. or how your organization can get involved in the St. Louis Green Business Challenge, subscribe to the bi-monthly E-Newsletter or visit stlouisgreenchallenge.com. For more on how sustainability connects to air quality, visit the Clean Air Partnership website, like us on Facebook, or follow us on X @gatewaycleanair.
