Every time you toss an aluminum can into a recycling bin, you’re living a legacy pioneered by Bill Coors. The visionary beer brewer helped introduce the idea of recyclable aluminum cans in the 1950s, and Coors Brewing has been a leader in innovative waste reduction, waste conservation, energy, and sustainable brewing practices ever since. The organization’s history shows that building a brand, and a more sustainable future, can go hand in hand. In 2016 Coors Light cut its aluminum usage by 3.8 million pounds. All of its major breweries are landfill-free, with less than one percent of waste generated going to landfills. They’ve built the most powerful U.S. solar array at any one brewery, in Irwindale, California, which can produce the equivalent of 22 million beers per year powered by the sun. Decreasing water use and reusing brewing waste to make ethanol fuel and feed are also integral to the brand’s sustainability program.