Operators have fresh reason to celebrate the start of the decade as, collectively, they have helped save over 100 million pints of water and 360 tonnes of keg CO2 over the past six years, thanks to the installation of the innovative SmartDispenseTM system. These waste savings will see publicans make an estimated cost saving of £819 per year on water and COalone.

  • In just six years, British pub and bar operators have saved over 100m pints of water and 360 tonnes of CO2
  • The result of this reduction in waste is an estimated annual cost saving of £819 per pub
  • The extended 8-week line cleaning cycle cuts beer, cider, water, cleaning fluid and dispense CO2 wastage by 87.5%

Energy bills are a sizeable outgoing for pubs, so identifying savings can be hugely beneficial. No punter orders a warm pint, but cellar cooling can be a significant contributor to a pub’s carbon footprint. The pioneering SmartDispenseTM system was the first draught dispense to only use energy-saving green cooling technology to chill beer and cider efficiently towards OºC. Partnered with extremely well insulated lines – known as pythons that deliver 20% less energy loss from keg coupler to tap – helps pubs to chill and serve great quality pints in a more sustainable way than ever before.

SmartDispense’sTM unique cooling and insulation system has revolutionised the way draught beer and cider is stored and served in pubs and bars across the UK, keeping it cold, fresh and away from light.  Extending line cleaning to four-, eight-, or even twelve-weekly cycles, as opposed to the 7-day line-clean in standard systems, saves on time as well as reducing water, dispense gas, beer and cider wastage by 87.5%.

Pubs who have contributed to these savings can now communicate their green credentials via the Green Pint scheme – an in-pub and digital campaign, created to educate and inspire consumers to make conscious choices about the pints they drink. Consumers are becoming increasingly environmentally aware, with 65% of Brits saying they are trying to live more ethically, and around half (48%) saying they are loyal to companies whose ethics align with their own, rising to 56% of under-25s.

One pub that’s benefitted from switching to a SmartDispenseTM system is The Gun. Rachael Scollen comments on the significant cost implications “The reduction in wastage has seen us make huge savings – at least £3k this year – while the time saved on line-cleaning has resulted in efficiencies throughout the business.”

Club owner, Alan Nelson, of Newton Aycliffe Working Men’s Club has noticed a significant improvement in pint quality; “Complaints around the quality of our pints used to be a daily issue. So, we decided to completely change our offering and install SmartDispenseTM. Members now comment on the quality, and we’ve seen a 50% sales increase in the past two years.”

In 2018, HEINEKEN launched The Greenpaper, its largest piece of category research ever undertaken, which found that the desire to ‘Live Better’ is worth an incremental £58M over three years, demonstrating that consumers are looking to reduce their impact on the environment. SmartDispenseTM, and last year’s launch of the Green Pint represents just one initiative enabling licensees to tap into this booming consumer trend.

Phil Gray, SmartDispenseTM sales director for HEINEKEN UK explains; “At HEINEKEN, we know we’ve got an important role. As the UK’s largest pub, cider and beer company, we’re in a unique position to make positive changes throughout the whole supply chain. SmartDispenseTM not only saves you time and effort (by removing the need for a weekly line clean), it also reduces your water and CO2 usage. These savings, coupled with colder, more consistent and quality pints leads to happier and more loyal customers, helping you sell more pints.”