Green Credentials at EWGA Wines

Environmental consideration, sustainability and recycling have always been a part of EWGA’s agenda. For that reason, we are committed to help our environment, reduce our negative impact on it and do what we can to become a carbon-neutral business. The work has already begun, but we are planning on doing a lot more in the near future.

At EWGA we feel that everyone has a responsibility to the environment and should do their part no matter how big or small to protect it. On that account, we have been evaluating our carbon footprint and general environmental impact over the last couple of years and have taken action to implement new environmentally-friendly policies and adapted several of our processes and practices to reduce our impact on the environment. This month we introduced our first fully electric van for deliveries, and two new fully electric cars will follow shortly. We are changing our packaging to use more sustainable materials, introduce a more efficient heating system, carbon offset those things we cannot yet change, remove single-use plastics from our portfolio and switch to digital where possible in an effort to become a ‘paperless office.

Our ‘green’ endeavours are already in effect, from doing small things such as careful recycling in our offices and warehouses to considerable changes in our procurement methods, like importing in bulk to cut down on transport-related emissions. The former is an everyday act, embedded into our team values, the latter a strategic step towards a greener future.

Furthermore, most of our invoices are now digital and we encourage our customers to adopt this method. This coupled with an introduction of digital wine lists for our on-trade customers. These fully customisable digital wine lists are available to all our customers and translate to less physical printing and the ability to change the online versions nearly instantly. The QR code which lets you access the list is unique to each customer and remains the same even when you change the digital wine list. All whilst, giving the customer their own branded experience. As result, we have managed to reduce our paper use by nearly half in 2020 – a trend which we want to continue going forward.

2020 was also the year when we successfully removed all products which are packed in single-use plastics from our portfolio – no more un-recyclable materials in our range. This along with a new mechanised pallet-wrapping system helped reduce the amount of plastic the company uses in general – a key to alleviating the pressure put on our environment.

Transport is perhaps the most prominent element affecting the environment – hence our efforts to review and modify how we import and distribute our goods. The most significant way of cutting down on transport emissions is our efforts to consolidate transports from Europe and import our key wine brands in bulk. Both methods result in less frequent shipping which in turn reduces the emissions produced. Additionally, some shipments arriving on ships from South Africa, Argentina, New Zealand or Australia are transported in flexitanks which are the most economical and environmentally friendly ways to carry wine in bulk. Also, we coordinate imports to be docked at either Liverpool or Hull to reduce the travel needed to the bottling company and therefore limit the emissions generated before they reach us at EWGA.

The distribution of our wine locally is done using our own fleet of vans, recently joined by a fully electric van sporting our EWGA plaque de muselet logo in green – kick-starting our ‘green’ deliveries, with more electric vehicles to follow.  Using our own fleet allows us to carefully monitor how the goods are delivered without the need to use unnecessary plastic packaging. This and the increased use of electric vehicles will further reduce the effect transport to and from our warehouses has on the environment. Speaking of packaging, by the end of 2021 we will eradicate the use of plastic from our courier deliveries and replace it with recyclable alternatives to minimise the use of plastic further.

The overall aim is to become a carbon-neutral business. However, not every part of our business and practices can be completely revised to meet that goal. For that reason, we will be carbon offsetting what we cannot transform yet – working with an external company that will plant trees and support initiatives to help reverse the impact of climate change on our behalf.

At EWGA we pledge to continue to look for ways to limit the negative impact on the environment and help support ‘green’ efforts in our company.