The Cayman Islands Brewery is partnering with the Central Caribbean Marine Institute to reduce waste and its impacts on coral reefs:

The Central Caribbean Marine Institute has partnered with the Cayman Islands Brewery to promote a “Zero Impact” on local coral reefs initiative.

For every case of Cayman Islands Brewery bottles returned to the brewery in January, the brewery will donate $2 to CCMI to support coral reef conservation.

James Mansfield, commercial manager of the Cayman Islands Brewery, said the brewery is eager to work with CCMI in the “International Year of the Reef.”

“We are seeing lowered rates of bottle returns now that recycling bins have popped up around the island,” said Mr. Mansfield in a press release.

“Customers think the bottles are coming back to us, when in fact they are not. They end up in the landfill or crushed. We want to drive our current 40 percent return rate up to 60 percent and higher with this initiative, moving toward the idea that our bottles have zero impact on coral reefs and [the] environment in general.”

Cayman Islands Brewery, which produces Caybrew and White Tip beers, has traditionally offered customers a $2 incentive to return the company’s bottles to the brewery, but adding the donation to CCMI is an effort to support conservation of the local environment.

Read more at the Cayman Compass.

[Image credit: Twilight Zone Expedition Team 2007, NOAA-OE]