Shed 1 Distillery: A carbon positive enterprise
Cumbria, Ulverston
Our Story
We launched Shed 1 Distillery in October 2016, creating, distilling, bottling and marketing gin and running gin experiences whilst researching and implementing sustainability initiatives.
Our business is based in a small rented building making it hard to implement energy saving measures such as solar panels or even switching to a greener energy supplier.
The Challenge
Net zero and all the other terms associated with net zero can be confusing for a micro or small business. Many businesses are put off by the confusing nature of these terms and the perception that they are expensive and time consuming.
In November 2019 we contacted Green Small Business who talked us through our business plan and equipped us with the tools and measures we needed to meet our own sustainability targets via a detailed Environmental Plan.
Our Solution
Through the guidance of Green Small Business we’ve managed to unlock a number of sustainability-related grants which has enabled us to implement a variety of sustainability initiatives. These have ranged from installing a closed loop cooling system and investing in a cardboard shredder, to making gin jelly marmalade from surplus fresh citrus fruit.
We also offset the journeys made by our botanicals, bottles, deliveries and waste through the climate action platform Ecologi, a monthly subscription service. The service allows you to input how much travel your employees do and then you can offset their footprint. Each month, trees are planted, plus we are supporting carbon and humanitarian projects.
We also buy trees for every order placed online. This way, we could start making a difference at once rather than pay money for an audit. The Ecologi website is incredibly visual and informative, so you can see exactly what your money is doing. We, and our customers, can regularly check to see how our forest is growing.
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