This one-hour panel will provide distillers with realistic and achievable ways to embed sustainability into their operations. With a focus on real-world examples and practical solutions, this session highlights how even small changes can have a big impact—no matter the size of your distillery.
Sustainability doesn’t have to be overwhelming—or expensive. This one-hour panel brings together leading New Zealand distillers to share realistic, practical, and scalable solutions for building more sustainable operations, no matter the size or stage of your distillery.
Moderated by: Sarah Elsom (Cardrona Distillery). A passionate advocate for environmental responsibility and innovation in the spirits sector, Sarah will guide the conversation and draw out actionable insights from our panelists.
Featured Panelists:
Jenny McDonald (Dunedin Craft Distillers) speaking on the challenges and opportunities working with bakery waste - designing and building a bespoke mashing and filtering system; collaboration with local food rescue and sourcing materials; bending the carbon accounting balance sheet
Richard Wilson (Sandymount Distilling) speaking on installing and optimizing solar power and tracking and achieving a carbon-zero status
Brian Waston (Good George) speaking on implementing CO₂ recovery systems and capturing and reusing emissions for environmental and economic gain
You’ll walk away with actionable ideas, cost-effective strategies, and inspiring examples from distillers who are already making sustainability work. Whether you're looking to reduce waste, lower energy use, or simply take the first step—this session will help you get started.
