Sustainability
At Ballandean Estate, we minimise our impact, only using what we need and returning what we can to the land. We recognise that the quality of Ballandean Estate’s wines fundamentally depends on the quality of the land which we cultivate.
Our efforts to preserve the viability of our piece of earth include:
As a primary producer
Soil nutrition
- We analyse the soil every year. This helps us to identify natural elements we may need to return to the soil.
- We recycle grape skins and use them as mulch for soil.
- Every year, we add mulch made from a combination of saw dust, woodchip, mushroom compost, bull manure, chicken manure and straw to the soil. The mulch nourishes the soil by adding nutrients, retaining moisture and burying carbon.
- We plant green crops between rows every two to three years.
Water
Drip irrigation across all vineyards eliminates water wastage.
Chemicals
We minimise the use of insecticides and pesticides.
As a manufacturer
Ballandean Estate is committed to making our wines in a socially responsible manner.
Decreasing carbon emissions
- In 2014, Ballandean Estate committed to decreasing carbon emissions from fossil fuel powered electricity usage by 31.5%. We achieved this by installing a 30kW solar system and replacing facility lighting with energy efficient bulbs.
- We continue to use cork as a closure. Cork is a natural material. It biodegrades completely and can be recycled without producing any toxic residues. The plastic part of screw caps is non-recyclable.
- We use lightweight glass bottles for most wines.
- We shut down refrigeration units when not required.
Active research into new technology
A flotation pump is used during vintage saving countless hours and energy in juice settling. The in-line pump uses nitrogen to supersaturate the juice forcing the pulp to rise to the surface as opposed to time consuming and energy hungry cold settling.
Environmental factors
Water tanks are attached to all buildings to capture rainwater used within the facility.
Waste
Cardboard and glass bottles are recycled by Enwaste.
Packaging
Old cardboxes are turned into packaging with an inhouse shredder