Since launching their first beer more than a decade ago, the Bahamian Brewery & Beverage Company has led the way as a corporate citizen and as a truly Bahamian company with an unwavering dedication to its employees and to the production and distribution of quality products. Always the trendsetter, the company is again taking the lead, this time by expanding its commitment to the environment. With an already established reputation for recycling it’s glass bottles; the company expanded it’s bottle buy-back program last month and is the only company in the country buying back it’s beer bottles.

“We’ve been recycling bottles at the brewery in Freeport for more than 11 years and in Nassau for the past 9 years,” said Donny Delahey, Grand Bahama General Manager. “On average, 50% of the bottles sold to the market are returned- all of which can be reused as many as 50 times under ideal circumstances.”

Each returned bottle is subject to stringent cleaning and disinfection protocols which are facilitated by high-powered bottle washing equipment. “In the rebuild of The Brewery after Hurricane Dorian; we installed an upgraded bottle cleaning machine which has made the cleaning process more efficient as well as conserving the water and cleaning product we use,” explained Delahey. “It also has a sediment catchment tray that catches debris such as old labels and glue that are removed in the cleaning process, giving us another filter process to ensure clean release of water.”

In March of 2021, the company added two more buy-back locations to its recycling collection areas, both of these in their largest market, Nassau. The Jimmy’s Wines & Spirits East Bay Street location will take up to five cases of empty bottles per person, at a rate of $1.50 per case, during its regular store hours and the Airport Industrial Park retail store will accommodate the same. Bottle returns at the Nassau Street location, which is the home base of returns for Nassau, will pay $2.00 per case on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays between the hours of 10 am and 2 pm. There is no limit to the number of cases that can be returned at Nassau Street.

This now gives locals, bar owners, and restaurants four locations of which to recycle, three in Nassau, and one in Freeport. Though the Bahamian Brewery, via its Jimmy’s locations sells other brands of beer, only Bahamian Brewery beer bottles are eligible for recycling. These include Sands, Sands Light, Sands Pink Radler, Sands Passion Radler, High Rock lager, and Strong Back. The bottle collectors will allow returns in any kind of beer box.

“We are proud to continue to help reduce the country’s carbon footprint in the world,” noted Gary Sands, General Manager of Bahamian Brewery & Beverage Company. “We continue to thank our loyal customer base, who drink our beers and support our recycle program.”