Spirits & Sustainability - where GDC stands

What sustainability mean to us

As we become more and more aware of the cost of human life on our planet, we are turning our attention to how we can minimise our impact.There is a rise of reusable bags, bamboo toothbrushes, and plastic-free packaging, with brands altering their business models to focus on sustainability.

This shift in attitude can be seen in almost every industry from Colgate’s responsible toothpaste to the rise in popularity of reusable water bottles. 

On the whole, spirit production is unfortunately a large contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. According to a paper authored by Tara Garnett, it is estimated that spirits contribute to 6.7% of the alcohol industry’s total greenhouse gas emissions, despite only making up 3.5% (by consumption) of the broad alcohol category.

The distillery, on the whole, is, unfortunately, a wasteful endeavour. However, a number of producers are trying to mitigate the wasteful nature of distillation. Botanical spirit producers like Nc'nean and Two Drifters are leading the way in sustainably made, UK-based whisky and rum production.

Along with these, the gin market is saturated by botanical gins boasting varying degrees of success in sustainability. Sadly, one spirit that seems to be falling behind in the race to become more sustainable is vodka and botanical vodka. Gattertop Drinks Co is here to change that. With a strong commitment to preserving and protecting the environment from which we harvest these extraordinary tastes, we are shaking up the vodka production industry.

Every aspect of this botanical vodka from picking to packaging is carefully considered in order to ensure minimal impact. The damsons once filtered are then reused in jams and jellies and Gattertop is currently exploring ways of reducing any other by-products that currently go to waste. All materials used in production and packaging from glass bottles to natural corks are sustainably and ethically sourced and recyclable.

We also enforce an active plastic-free policy that avoids all use of single-use plastics. We are committing to 100% sustainable materials by 2021. Gattertop Drinks Co is working towards being certified as Carbon Neutral. As part of that, we are engaged in tree planting initiatives to offset the carbon we do emit.

Whilst we remain at the top of the botanical vodka market in terms of sustainability and social responsibility, we are not satisfied with our current achievements and will strive to reduce our emissions year on year. Whilst Gattertop is by no means the only vodka producers looking to increase the industry’s sustainability, it is one of the only UK based ones. Other sustainable distillers are predominantly US based and as such, any amount of sustainability is sadly diminished by the bottle’s journey across the Atlantic. So, if you are considering purchasing a sustainably distilled vodka and live in the UK, it is certainly one of the best options.