Happy Earth Day Members!
We just wanted to highlight some of our efforts today, and get some feedback from you as well. Here are some of the things we’re doing to decrease our impact on the environment. If there are some other techniques you would recommend, please comment below. We’re very open to any ideas that can reduce our impact.
- Purchasing from Sustainable Producers – growers that have a sustainable view of the vineyard and are smaller in size using fewer pesticides, etc. See the following article by our Wine Expert, Marcus Ansems:Sustainable Wine
- Consolidation of shipments: when we purchase from multiple vineyards in a region, we wait until all purchase orders are complete and we consolidate the shipment in one region, thus reducing the transportation impact. This also reduces transportation costs which we pass on to our members.
- Donations: on Earth Day 2009 we announced that 5% of membership sales in May will be donated to the Waterkeepers Alliance: http://www.waterkeepers.ca/. We will also be creating awareness of the Waterkeepers Alliance at public functions.
- Carbon Offset: by the end of 2009 we plan to be a carbon neutral company. Offsetting carbon producing activities such as travel, shipment of wines, delivery, electricity, paper use, etc.
Let’s all do our part. Please remember to recycle the cardboard and bottles from your wine shipments. A 2008 study by Angus Reid Strategies indicated that only 58% of Canadians recycle. Let’s make sure 100% of our members recycle.
Happy Earth Day. Comment below to let us know your efforts and suggestions for how we can improve.