Following a whopping $7 million upgrade to its Healesville distillery, Four Pillars is set to become the first carbon-neutral distillery in the country.
The expansion is set to open to the public by the end of April, and comes as part of the Australian government initiative Climate Active, which awards certification to businesses who have reached a
state of achieving zero net emissions.
“This is a landmark day for Four Pillars and our commitment to sustainability,” said Four Pillars co-founder and distiller Cameron Mackenzie.
“From the very first day we distilled gin we have tried to recycle, re-use and replenish our environment and give back to the community. We cannot give more to the community than assure it that our gins tread carefully on our planet, especially in this time of climate crisis.”
To achieve this state, Four Pillars has been working with Climate Active and consultants Ndevr Environmental for over a year, taking into account the significantly complex process of making the production facility and all products carbon neutral, including once they have left the distillery.
“Our journey to carbon-neutral began with the simple idea of reusing oranges for marmalade, giving spent botanicals to pigs for feed, putting solar panels on our roof and of course offsetting what can be an energy-intensive production process by carefully purchasing carbon credits.” said Mr Mackenzie.
“To be honest, we are doing no more, or less, than what should be expected of a business that is lucky enough to be based in the magnificent natural surrounds of the Yarra Valley.”
The new Four Pillars distillery, named Healesville 2.0, has seen more than a 1000sqm expansion of the original site, directly adjacent, and wholly connected, to the original Four Pillars distillery on Lilydale Road, Healesville and has been designed by Melbourne’s award-winning and sustainability-led Breathe Architecture.
The environmental impact of the construction of Healesville 2.0 has been taken into account, and has used materials including recycled and upcycled concrete and bricks,
pineapple ‘leather’ upholstery and even building waste has been carefully used and given a purpose. Furniture is all locally sourced, solar power panels are installed on the roof, and internal and external landscaping includes plantings of local natives and botanicals, many of which will be used in future gin distillations.
A new process of piping gin directly into the main bar through featured copper pipes to reduce glass waste and they will also be reducing bottled tonic usage, replaced in the most part by tonic in kegs. These two initiatives alone will see the site save 29 tonnes of glass per year.
The whole site, incorporating the old and new buildings, will be enclosed by a copper ‘veil’ made from 1650m of raw copper tubing, giving Healesville a stunning new landmark as well as working as a natural heat exchange to reduce energy consumption.
Ongoing sustainability programs include re-using the one tonne of spent botanicals produced each week in their Made from Gin food range or as mulch for local gardens.
For further information about Climate Active and to see the full rundown of Four Pillars carbon
reducing activities please visit www.climateactive.org.au
