just to add to the water issue and the boiling issue if you collect the water after cooling your wort down you also have warm water to clean gear with so the heat or energy used when boiling your wort also gives you hot water once your gear has been cleaned the spent water with all the phosphates in it from the cleaning chemicals are great for the lawn as they use these phosphates.Seadart wrote:On the water side, you could keep the cooling water for cleaning down with after it's done it job of cooling the wort. Just run it into a suitable container and there it is on hand.
The grains can be composted either on a compost heap or dug straight into the garden the hops can be dealt with the same way.
Mail order has to be greener than using your own transport but if your food shoping and the local Home Brew Shop is near use the supermarket carpark and walk to the HBS to get your supplies.
Just my take on green things
craft brewing is probablly IMO the greenest hobby next to tree planting you can get.
as for the food miles well everything can get sent via post theese days and you can always buy your ingrediants on line .
richard