Brewers Running Low on Bottles Due to Recycling Depot Shutdown – The Beer Store Steps in to Help
Beer makers are facing a shortage of bottles due to the coronavirus lockdown. The Beer Store steps in to reintroduce the recycling program across Ontario to help brewers meet demands. Learn how physical distancing measures will be enforced while bottle recycling.
By Clara Jaide on Apr. 13, 2020
The coronavirus crisis has caused a suspension in operations to many businesses, including bottle/recycling depots. Bottle returns have not been considered “essential services”, however, alcohol production is. This has lead to a shortage of bottles that’s left many Canadian brewers struggling to find bottles to meet the sales demands.
Spike in alcohol sales amidst COVID-19 crisis
Since the COVID-19 “lockdown” and physical distancing measures commenced, many nations have seen a wave of panic buyers, specifically in liquor and alcoholic beverages. According to Forbes, alcohol sales have spiked amidst the coronavirus lockdown across the US. Additionally, there has been a significant spike in bottled beer purchases. This has created a high demand for brewers to produce more beer, specifically bottled beer.
“Combined with other recycling programs around the country, including B.C. Liquor Stores, also being on pause, the supply of industry-standard beer bottles has decreased significantly just as a wave of panic buying boosted demand,” John Sleeman, founder of Sleeman Breweries, told Financial Post. “We don’t have enough bottles in our plants to run at normal levels. But we’re still producing beer. We still have bottles, just not as many as we would like.”
How are breweries operating during the COVID-19 lockdown?
Check out this article to see how breweries are responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Beer Store reopens 71 of 450 chains across Ontario
In March, The Beer Store ceased operations in order to protect employees from the fast-spreading COVID-19 outbreak. In order to help brewers and other alcohol distributors continue to meet demands, The Beer Store has announced it will be reintroducing the recycling program by opening 71 of their 450 locations across Ontario on April 6, 2020.
How will The Beer Store ensure safety during bottle returns?
In order to adhere to physical distancing measures, The Beer Store will enforce 6-feet rules and restrict in-store returns to one cart per customer. Select stores will also be operating under modified/reduced hours.
“To facilitate an orderly restoration of the recycling program, we have temporarily reduced the number of stores accepting empties,” The Beer Store said on its website. “This will allow our retail operations to ensure we have substantial quantities of personal protective equipment (PPE) along with safeguarding the operational maintenance of social distancing with increased store traffic.”
Customers are also asked to rinse their recyclables before returning them to The Beer Store.
The Beer Store has provided a list of The Beer Store locations that are re-opening during the COVID-19 pandemic on its website.
For more information on how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting beer worldwide, check out these articles you might like:
Beer Delivery & Curbside Pickup – How Craft Breweries are Overcoming COVID-19
Craft Breweries are Producing Hand Sanitizer Amid COVID-19 Outbreak
Modelo Suspends Beer Production due to Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic