The Boston Beer Co. expanded its philanthropic initiative Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream to Chicagoland food, beverage and hospitality small-business owners. The Chicago expansion of the program, which provides access to loans for small businesses, is in partnership with Accion Chicago, a member of the Accion U.S. Network.

Beverage companies are taking on new strategies in regard to the goals of their recycling initiatives. One would be hard pressed to find a beverage company not involved in recycling, but the industry continues to expand existing recycling programs. Craft brewer Boulevard Brewing Co., Kansas City, Mo., had to expand its recycling efforts in order to become a zero-landfill facility in January. In 2009, Boulevard’s Founder and President John McDonald, Chief Financial Officer Jeff Krum and Technical Director Mike Utz became co-founders and principals of Ripple Glass, a glass recycling company, to help close the loop in the brewer’s glass bottle consumption.