At Left Handed Giant, we believe there's only one morally defensible way to operate a business in the 21st century: with the planet in mind. Our commitment to sustainability isn't just a marketing strategy—it's fundamental to who we are and how we operate every day.
Carbon Neutral and Counting
We're proud to be a Carbon Neutral company, but we recognize this is just the beginning. Working with Our Carbon, we conduct yearly audits of our footprint, measuring our impact and setting ambitious targets for reduction.
We don't just want to offset—we want to minimize our footprint at every stage. That's why we're transparent about both our successes and our challenges as we work toward a more sustainable future.
From Tank to Tap: The Short Route is the Sustainable Route
Sustainability is built into our business model. We focus on reducing the distance between tank and tap, with more than 60% of our product sold through our own bars and over 75% sold within Bristol. Only around 5% of our product is exported abroad.
This local focus isn't just good for freshness—it's essential for minimizing our environmental impact:
- Our most sustainable packaging? The 1000L serving tanks in our Brewpub
- Next up: Our 50L kegs distributed locally
- Last on the list: Our 440ml cans, which we keep as a low-volume, high-demand part of our business
Taking Action, Making Changes
As a manufacturing business, we can't eliminate our impact entirely—but we're committed to reducing it wherever possible:
- Renewable Power: All energy purchased is certified from renewable sources like wind, solar, and hydro
- Circular Systems: Spent grain and hops are collected by a local farmer and returned to the food chain
- Solar Energy: We've installed solar panels on our St Philips brewery (and we're fighting to get them on our Finzels Reach Brewpub too)
- Waste Reduction: We're a Zero to Landfill business, with rigorous recycling programs throughout our operations
- End-of-Life Planning: We pay a surcharge to ensure every keykeg we use is fully recycled
Beyond the Brewery
Our commitment extends to every aspect of our business:
In our bars, we purchase gin and vodka in bulk containers, serve wine in bag-in-box format, and source our crisps from 100% plastic-free suppliers.
In our offices, we minimize paper use, choose unbleached materials, and ensure printer cartridges are returned for recycling.
The Road Ahead
We know we don't have all the answers, and there's always more work to be done. That's why we're committed to continued measurement, transparent reporting, and constant improvement.
As a founder, employee, and community-owned company, we're not pressured by corporate investors to cut environmental corners. We're free to make decisions based on what's right for our planet, even when it might not be what's most profitable in the short term.
Because at the end of the day, we're not just brewing beer—we're working towards a better future.
Want to learn more about our sustainability initiatives? Visit our brewery, check out our full sustainability report here, or just ask us next time you're enjoying a pint. We're always happy to talk about how we're working to keep our environmental impact as low as our beer standards are high.