Australia: CUB’s Cascade Brewery switches to canning free drinking water to help communities affected by natural disasters

CUB’s Cascade Brewery has produced 360,000 cans of free drinking water to date, for distribution to communities around Australia whose water supplies are affected by natural disasters, Food & Drink Business reported on January 24.

The brewery switched off beer production on January 22 to produce 120,000 of the cans as part of CUB’s Disaster Relief Program, which launched in December 2018. Cans are transported to communities affected by disasters such as fires, floods, or droughts when requested by governments or organisations on the ground.

According to CUB, the 360,000 cans produced at Cascade to date have included 90,000 distributed to bushfire relief efforts in NSW and on Kangaroo Island; 80,000 to Townsville after last year’s floods; and more sent to drought-stricken communities in Queensland and NSW.

“Producing these cans is a logical focus for our relief efforts. Water is a critical part of our brewing process and we have the canning capability and transport networks to make a program such as this work.

“This is a small way for Cascade and Carlton & United Breweries to support regional and rural communities across Australia who are in crisis, and we’re proud to be doing so,” the company said.

CUB is also assisting bushfire relief with donations: this Australia Day long weekend, all proceeds from specially-marked VB kegs across Australia will go to the Rotary Clubs of Australia Bushfire Disaster Fund. CUB has already donated $250,000 cash to the fund, and expects the long weekend appeal to raise another $750,000.

29 January, 2020