“An organizational commitment to the environment doesn’t happen overnight,” says Mike Minami, President and CEO of Sleeman Breweries. “Our employees are continually looking for ways that we can be greener and bringing forward their ideas. Every day, we continue to get better.”

The green culture at Sleeman Breweries is supported nationally and at the local level. 

The National Green Team runs programming for Earth Month in the spring and Circular Economy Month in the fall. Past Earth Month campaigns have focused on reducing water and energy consumption, creating litter-free lunches, and carbon-reduced commuting. During Circular Economy month, the company runs awareness campaigns and highlights employees who champion the Circular Economy in their personal lives.

At the local level, Green Teams have planted vegetable and pollinator gardens, found better ways to sort waste, and replaced single-use plastic cutlery with reusable options. “These teams know that every small contribution adds up to greater change,” says Linden Gossen, National Environmental Health and Safety Manager.

Close attention is also paid to operations inside the company’s facilities where energy efficiency is a focus and employees check equipment regularly for water and air leaks. Across the country, moving from fluorescent lightbulbs to LED alternatives has made a significant difference in energy use.

In their application to the Canada’s Greenest Employers competition, Sleeman Breweries highlighted important initiatives, including:

• Creating the Sleeman Better Water Fund, which provides $40,000 in funding each year to support Canadian water conservation and clean water access
• Earning a Clean Energy Champion award from BC Hydro for their facility in Vernon, BC
• Developing a Sustainable Events Procedure that takes environmental impact into consideration when organizing events
• Achieving Elite Level status with Recyc-Quebec for outstanding recycling efforts in Chambly
• Using scorecard tracking for emissions in their breweries to monitor the overall impact of improvement efforts and make adjustments
• Testing electric delivery trucks in Quebec for potential future use 

On March 22 - World Water Day - Sleeman Breweries announced the 2025 recipients of the Sleeman Better Water Fund. Fondation Rivières, a Quebec-based organization focused on river health, and Living Lakes Canada, a national organization that works to protect Canada's freshwater resources, both received grants from the Fund.

This is the fourth year that Sleeman Breweries has been named one of Canada’s Greenest Employers. “We’re a proud part of Canada’s brewing legacy,” says Gossen. “And our commitment to the environment is an important part of our own legacy as an organization.”