The Boatyard Distillery sits proudly on the banks of Lough Erne. This setting of true natural beauty gives our operation an extra strong reminder, on a daily basis, of how important sustainability is. As such we play an important part in our local community, and we are committed to being carbon neutral by 2023 at the latest.
Our bottle
The Boatyard bottle itself is made from extra flint recycled glass. The cork used is both natural and unvarnished, made from wood sourced from ecologically and sustainably managed forests in Portugal. Our label, which is something we have a great deal of pride in, is produced by the last British paper mill (James Cropper) and is made from recycled paper.
For single and double bottle shipping we use Flexi Hex technology, eliminating plastic from this part of the process. Flexi Hex is 100% recycled with zero trees being felled in production.
Pallet wrap is one of the largest contributors in the world to carbon emissions. We have employed new technology here to ensure we use recycled pallet wrap that is also recyclable.
Even our shipping cartons are made from recycled pulp.
Waste fruit has a number of uses when we are done with it. Some is sent to be composted, the citrus juices are reused in drinks often being dropped off to local bartenders, and we even have had some chutney and some Boatyard marmalade made.
Sloe berries go into a conserve.
Spent botanicals from distillation are used to make a bean-to-bar chocolate bar.
Any liquid waste goes to anaerobic digesters which give electricity back into the grid.
The barrels used for Old Tom have been recycled into furniture, and also some local breweries reuse them in brewing.
The cows at the McGirr family farm happily receive the spent grain from vodka production.
Business cards are all made from recycled Costa coffee cups.
Our philosophy on waste is eliminate it, you will struggle to find a bin at the distillery.