Helius-CoRDe, Speyside


Constructing a £50m 7.2MW biomass combined heat and power plant that will use draff from local distilleries and timber to supply electricity to the grid.


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harvest yields with reduced inputs such as fertilisers, but also produce more alcohol.” Stan Blackly, chief executive of Friends of


the Earth Scotland, has a vested interest in a sustainable Scotch whisky industry – as he’s a member of the SMWS and loves his single malts. He said: “The whisky industry is a very energy-


intensive industry and the carbon footprint of a glass of whisky can be enormous but, in general, the manufacturer’s input is not a lot. The big input is in packaging, such as fancy bottles and boxes, and moving them around the world. “The good thing about the Scottish industry is


that we’ve noticed a whole load of initiatives that would appear to suggest to us that they are taking action to reduce their impact on the environment. “I like what distilleries are doing on Islay, such as Bruichladdich with its pioneering anaerobic digestion of pot ale to produce methane gas to burn for energy, and Bowmore, which recycles hot water to heat a local swimming pool.” Stan reckons there is more potential to gain in energy saving in the future, particularly using local renewables. “Many of our distilleries are located in highland and forested areas or near the coast where they could employ micro-renewables such as wind turbines, biomass burners or the new technologies being used for wave and energy power. This would not only make them more sustainable, but also provide energy security so that companies are not subject to fluctuating power costs from fossil fuels.” So why isn’t the Scottish whisky industry


leveraging its green credentials with consumers? Julie said Scotch is a green product almost by default: “There is an understanding that


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environment isn’t a competitive issue within the industry – looking after the environment is the right thing to do. I don’t see that any company sees a competitive advantage in promoting its carbon footprint at a brand level.” Diageo’s Michael Alexander agrees and


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doesn’t think that a ‘green label’ would benefit his brands, but Stan Blackly believes they are missing a trick. He said: “There are many whisky consumers, such as myself, that would be more minded to chose a whisky that is sustainably produced and had a lower carbon footprint – that’s why I like drinking Bruichladdich. “We’ve seen more consumers buying high-end


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lifestyle products, such as cars and expensive food items, because of environmental and sustainable claims, so I think the Scottish whisky industry could benefit too.”


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JULIE


HESKETH-LAIRD Director, Scotch Whisky Association


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FRANK BURNS General manager of The Combination of Rothes Distillers 3


MICHAEL ALEXANDER Diageo’s head of environment


Bruichladdich, Islay


Operates an anaerobic digester to use pot ale to produce methane gas, which is burned to make energy on site. The £275,000 investment has created annual savings of £150,000 in electricity and waste disposal.


4 DAVID THOMSON


Annandale Distillery 5


STAN BLACKLY Chief executive of Friends of the Earth Scotland


o, the industry can feel fairly righteous in claiming itself as a lean, green and sustainable industry… but it’s just


when the whisky leaves the distillery that it starts putting on the carbon pounds. Julie Hesketh-Laird said that this is an area


where the industry has little direct control: “We can only encourage and discuss with suppliers ways in which we can make the whole supply chain more sustainable.” Diageo’s Michael Alexander added: “In more


recent years, we’ve been looking at our supply chain impacts in terms of glass, packaging and recyclability. We are working with suppliers on new designs that meet our environmental expectations and to increase the recycled content in glass and making our logistics as efficient as possible.” Stan Blackly believes the packaging dilemma


is a no-brainer: “There are no restrictions in using recycled glass for whisky bottles, and even the bottles’ cardboard boxes or metal tubes can come from recycled sources – and they can be made recyclable at the end of their life. However, transport is another issue and this should be driven by changes in government policy.” But Julie Hesketh-Laird made an interesting point about a bottle of whisky: “A bottle of whisky is a luxury product designed to be sipped and savoured. In many markets, it has a long shelf life so the environmental cost per unit is relatively low.” That’s an assertion that obviously depends on how thirsty whisky drinkers are!


THE SCOTCH MALT WHISKY SOCIETY


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