If you have ever asked yourself what can you do to be a more eco-friendly drinker, then this piece is for you. Since we at Lassou can’t imagine the world without great spirits and drinks, we thought that we can at least ensure it is a part of our sustainable future.
It’s not a secret, that alcohol production needs a lot of resources. The raw materials, production process, and transportation of your favourite booze need electricity, water, fuel, and so on. And, of course, don’t forget about the wastes. But there is a way to a greener drinking. If each of us can make reductions to any of those elements (raw materials, production or transportation) mother nature will be proud of us.
Here are some easy steps on how to become a sustainable drinker.
Explore local spirit brands
Local gins and whiskies have significantly lower transport emissions than those imported from elsewhere. Stocking your home bar with spirits from local wineries, breweries and distilleries is a simple way to cut down on alcohol production's large carbon footprint. One more benefit of buying alcohol from local distillers is that you are also spending local, and that money sustains your local economy. Check out our brands and choose your local spirit producers.
Drink apples!
Have you ever tried calvados? If no, now is the best time to do it! Calvados is an apple brandy, and as it happens, apples have a tiny environmental impact compared to other raw materials used to make alcohol. Production of calvados or cider doesn’t need much water and it is practically wasteless. Moreover, apple orchards are biodiverse, and trees absorb more carbon dioxide than any other plant. Cheers to apples!
Choose recyclable bottlings and packagings
Pay attention to the bottles and cans and prefer those options which are fully recyclable. As a rule, producers mention these facts in their product descriptions, so be sure to check this thing out before buying alcohol. Take, for instance, wine in a can produced by NICE Drinks - a delicious wine in 100% recyclable cans, or hard seltzers produced by Whisp and Served Drinks, or a zero alcohol Freestar beer just to name a few. Avoid plastic and mixed-material containers when buying alcohol.
Support environmental-friendly drinks producers
Before buying your next bottle of rum or vodka, try to find out what the brand is doing to minimize its environmental impact. At Lassou we have the best independent UK producers who support sustainable drinking. For example, Victory London Distillery uses unique, modern processes to produce its spirits. Their technology helps to conserve energy and reduce water waste. Every time you buy a bottle of Sapling vodka, they plant a tree. Tarsier Spirits are donating 10% of their profits to conservation projects in Southeast Asia. Check out our blog post 8 Sustainable Drinks Brands, And What Makes Them Eco-Friendly for more information.
To sum up, drinking sustainably is not a trend, it is our future, and step by step each of us will come to it. This is not that hard, actually. Here are a few more guidelines on how to identify sustainable drinks producers:
- They use local raw materials.
- They limit their energy footprint by using renewable energy.
- They reduce and recycle their waste.
- They support environmental organizations and local communities.
- They use recyclable bottles, cans, and packages.
- They innovate and invent new methods of production to reduce CO2 emissions and water wastes.