How a Famous Pub Combo May Show Us How to Combat Climate Change
by David Klemt
A small UK start-up has pioneered a solution to climate change that other country’s can follow.
And it centers around a wildly popular combination ordered in pubs throughout the United Kingdom.
Beer and crisps is a combination as ubiquitous in the UK as fish and chips, bangers and mash, and steak and chips.
It turns out that the pairing may be more than just a delicious drink and snack pairing—it may just save the planet.
Alright, that may be hyperbole. But one company has found a way to cut carbon dioxide emissions and reduce manufacturing waste using beer, crisps and innovation.
CCm Technologies, formerly CCm Research, is a small cleantech firm that focuses on capturing and converting carbon dioxide so it can be used by industries like agriculture and food production.
After a successful trial, Walkers, a UK brand owned by PepsiCo and based in Leicester, England, announced their intention to install CCm Technologies equipment at their factory.
The plan will work like this: Carbon dioxide captured during the fermentation process at breweries will be mixed with potato waste and converted to fertilizer. That fertilizer will be used to grow the next crop of potatoes destined to become Walkers crisps.
Walkers makes crisps (North Americans, think of them as potato chips), and the company says the plan will cut their mission by 70 percent. Breweries tend to produce significant amounts of carbon dioxide during their fermentation processes.
While the breweries that will participate in the Walkers-CCm scheme have yet to be announced, the plan will help reduce the carbon dioxide emissions they and the PepsiCo-owned brand generate.
Americans and Canadians also love beer and potato chips, so the plan has huge potential for North America, as well. In addition to Walkers, PepsiCo owns Lay’s, Tostitos, Cheetos and Fritos brands. If the circular carbon dioxide and food waste reduction plan works out in the UK, it would be great to see it implemented in the US and Canada.
In the (hopefully near) future, bartenders and servers in the US and Canada may offer guests a planet-saving yet classic combo.