When you think about sustainability, the first things that probably come to mind are solar panels and recyclable containers. And while these work great to help to reduce your carbon footprint, many companies are beginning to think outside the box, finding innovative new ways to be more sustainable.
According to a Manchester University Study conducted in 2020, the “global alcoholic beverage industry produces around 1.5 gigatons of greenhouse gas emissions annually, which is comparable to the emissions of around 276 million cars.” Everything from growing the ingredients needed for fermentation, manufacturing and packaging to fuel used to ship these products around the world — it all contributes to climate change.
And that’s the impact from just one industry. Everything that we do, from what we buy to where we travel to the utilities that we use in our homes — it all has an impact on our environment.
So the companies that go the extra mile to change even the smallest aspects of their business to reduce their carbon footprint deserve to be recognized. Take AVIVO, for example. Founder and CEO Ridgely Evers created this winery to forge sustainable California wine through regenerative farming techniques.
Supporting Healthy Soil
AVIVO focuses on regenerative farming, which helps to restore soil and ecosystem health while reducing the need for harmful chemicals and tilling. This approach helps restore the balance of carbon emissions and carbon sequestration in the vineyards, creating an ecosystem that thrives from the ground up, according to Evers.
“We’ve really embraced biodynamics,” he says. “We’re certified organic, we’re certified biodynamic and we’re certified regenerative.”
“We have two farms here in Navarro,” Evers continues. “The inspection process for each one is different because there are two different living organisms. But if you look at our vineyards, there are so many other plants growing.”
Part of this growth is because the vineyards don’t get tilled. Tilling not only exposes the soil to sunlight, but it also destroys everything that’s growing in the ground, according to Evers. By not tilling, there’s an opportunity for the understory to thrive.
Another certified sustainable vineyard is Donnafugata in Sicily. “Donnafugata has the ‘SOStain’ certification that is showcased on the labels of our bottles,” says CEO and co-owner José Rallo.
This certification is given by the SOStain Foundation according to the SOStain program ― for Sicilian Sustainable viticulture. Rallo states that this program includes a disciplinary consisting of 10 minimum requirements, some of which include not using chemical herbicides, biodiversity, utilizing energy efficient technologies and keeping the wine bottles under a certain weight.
Getting Innovative with Packaging Solutions
Madison Grace, General Manager of Natural Merchants Organic Wine Imports at Amass Brand Group, says there have been exciting developments in lightweight glass molds and alternative materials for wine bottles.
“Personally, I favor the 1.5L wine bag,”she says. “It can look quite premium while being significantly lighter than glass, making it more sustainable to transport and excellent at protecting the wine from oxygen. As consumer preferences evolve and sustainability concerns grow, these innovations may very well reshape how we package and enjoy wine in the coming years.”
Beginning with the 2023 vintage, Donnafugata’s Lighea white wine is now being bottled in the “Cento per Cento Sicilia” (100% Sicily) Burgundy bottle, “so-called because it is produced exclusively on the island of Sicily from recycled glass according to a virtuous circular economy model promoted by Fondazione SOStain and implemented by O-I Glass,” Rallo states.
Weighing just 410 grams, rather than the 550 it was in the past, the “Cento per Cento Sicilia” bottle is also lighter, “therefore contributing to reducing CO2 emissions and environmental impact over time,” he continues.
Albertsons Companies also recently debuted Bee Lightly, the newest addition to its Own Brands wine portfolio, featuring the first flat, 100% recycled PET wine bottles in the U.S.
According to a news release, the new packaging is “87% lighter than traditional glass bottles, allows twice as many products to be transported per pallet and has a smaller environmental footprint compared to conventional wine bottles by reducing transportation-related emissions.”
Aside from the bottle material itself, Sun Moon Rising, an astrology-inspired sustainable wine brand based out of New York, uses Stelvin screw caps for their wine bottles. “We find that this is more sustainable these days instead of using cork,” says co-founder Kate Webb.
While AVIVO still uses corks to bottle their wine, Evers notes that they have begun eliminating the caps covering the top of the bottle, starting with their 2023 harvest.
“You have to start asking why we do certain things, right? We used to use capsules because the wines were stored in a cellar that was damp and cool,” he says. “Now, the bottle just needs to live long enough to get from the store to your house and then you’re going to drink it. It doesn’t need a capsule — it’s a throwaway item.”
Harnessing the Power of the Sun
Many suppliers encourage clean air and blue skies through solar panels. Take California-based Firestone Walker Brewing Company, for example.
The brewery’s solar array offsets 1,210 metric tons of carbon emissions annually and recaptures 4.4 million pounds of CO2 yearly, the company states. By 2025, their solar arrays will power 60% of the brewery, generating five million kWh annually.
While Firestone Walker’s solar arrays help to reduce its carbon footprint, the cost can be concerning.
“Although technology is constantly improving the brewing process and efficiency, it is merely incremental, principally because brewers have been focused on these sustainable processes for centuries,” says Firestone Walker co-founder David Walker.
“That said, any new technology adds to an already heavy capital burden that an old-world production format like a brewer demands,” he continues. “The brewery needs to be financially healthy and working within its limits to afford some of these innovations. There needs to be a culture and commitment to reducing waste and repurposing materials such that long-term investments are supported.”
Sun Moon Rising wine partners with two sustainable vineyards in New York, one of them being Heron Hill Winery in Hammondsport. “They are a solar powered winery and have a variety of green initiatives,” says Webb.
For example, Heron Hill uses “tartrate inhibitors as opposed to using energy for cooling and chilling,” according to Webb. The winery also utilizes a composting system to recycle all of the waste from the grapes.
Going beyond solar panels, Aspen Vodka Distillery in Colorado is the first distillery in the world to obtain the LEEDv4 BD+C Platinum certification, which is awarded to buildings that meet high standards addressing carbon, energy, water, waste, transportation, materials, health and indoor environmental quality.
“We implement sustainable practices throughout the 18,000-square-foot distillery, which stands on a rehabilitated former lumber yard, where the land and surrounding soil have been revitalized,” says Aspen Vodka founder Matt Patel.
He also explains that “105% of the energy is supplied by a combination of on and off-site solar and battery storage, generating more renewable energy than consumed.”
Additionally, the energy-neutral on-site wastewater treatment generates zero carbon emissions and improves water quality, with 100% of the distilling process wastewater treated before being returned to the Roaring Fork River.
“Now in full operation, the distillery shows a +26% reduction in embodied carbon through a whole building life cycle assessment,” Patel states.
Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Shipping products is another common sustainability concern. While bottling your liquids in lighter containers can help offset some of the emissions used while shipping, it still contributes to overall greenhouse gasses.
To help further reduce emissions, Grain de Sail ships its goods with a cargo sailboat that harnesses the power of the wind to reduce emissions by over 90%, the company states.
“Our fleet of boats are specifically designed to move forward exclusively by using the power of the wind,” says export director Pierre Maruzzi. “We also have some technologies on board that provide us with renewable energies, such as solar panels and hydro generators.”
Grain de Sail transports a variety of items including wine and spirits, industrial equipment, health and beauty products, textiles and fashion, dry food and musical instruments. They also create their own sustainable French wines that are then imported into New York City.
“The wine venture that we do is really to showcase the most sustainable practices from the vineyard all the way to the final distribution,” says Maruzzi. “During the sourcing process, we have a very strict set of rules — the biggest one being that we only source from vines that are made using biodynamic principles.”
Since its inception in 1980, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. has been sustainably brewing its beer. “It’s less about how much is sustainable and more about just continuing to build and grow off of what we’ve done in previous years,” says Mandi McKay, director of sustainability and social responsibility for the brewery.
For example, 20-to-30 years ago, Sierra Nevada Brewing was more focused on producing zero waste, “such as traditional recycling, water reduction and energy efficiency,” according to McKay.
While the brewery has continued to maintain those values, over the years, they have expanded their sustainability practices to include reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
“Greenhouse gas emissions come in three different scopes: operational emissions, energy emissions and then the emissions from everything up or downstream from your operation,” explains McKay. “So reducing emissions will look different for each of those scopes, but in general, we try to come up with different fuel sources, create more renewable energy on site, try different transportation options or electrify our fleet to reduce fossil fuel consumption.”
