The Gin Guild has launched a ‘Sustainability Toolkit’ to help gin producers incorporate more sustainable measures.
The guide provides “actionable solutions to address environmental, social and governance challenges while meeting growing consumer expectations for transparency and responsibility”, and was created in collaboration with industry executives. It is free of charge for The Gin Guild members and has been rolled out alongside ‘#TenGreenBottles’, a campaign that will run throughout this year and aims to “inspire collaboration across the industry in adopting greener practices”.
The international gin organisation said the toolkit is built around the “most pressing sustainability challenges facing the gin industry today”. These include “reducing greenhouse gas emissions through energy-efficient practices and renewable energy adoption, conserving water through closed-loop systems and recycling initiatives and minimising waste by repurposing production materials”.
Other priority areas include introducing lighter packaging and applying ethical sourcing, as well as improved governance and transparency.
Contributors to the toolkit included Dr Anne Brock, that master distiller at Bombay Sapphire (Bacardi); Will Edge, the founder of Greensand Ridge Distillery, and Fiona Humphries from Sipsmith.
“Consumers are increasingly looking to brands that align with their values,” said The Gin Guild director general Pal Gleed. “The Sustainability Toolkit is a response to this demand. We wanted to equip distillers with a practical resource that could guide their sustainability journey and empower them to make choices that are not just ethical but achievable.”
Earlier this month, African Originals, the Kenyan gin and cider business, became certified as a B Corp company, claiming to be the first of its kind in Africa.
