For a growing business, walking the line between sustainable choices and cost-savings choices is no easy feat. As we have expanded, we have fortunately had the privilege of being able to put more effort and thought towards how we manufacture, how we ship, how we package, and how we safely deliver our products to your door.
In 2022, we made sustainability one of our core values. This page outlines our current sustainability measures and our plans moving into the future.
Currently
Freight
Since 2020, we have significantly decreased our use of air freight to import goods into Australia year on year. We've improved our inventory management and stock forecasting for major sale periods to the point where we can rely on slower ocean freight — which contributes significantly less greenhouse gas emissions than air freight.
Packaging
All cardboard box packaging that we use for packing and shipping is FSC-certified. This means it is created using reclaimed materials and is sourced from sustainable areas that do not contribute to deforestation. We use an FSC-certified packaging paper that acts as a bubble-wrap alternative to reduce our reliance on plastics.
Polystyrene
Polystyrene is unfortunately still common in bulk international goods transport. We continue year on year to decrease the amount of polystyrene used when goods are delivered to our Melbourne warehouse and work with our manufacturing and freight partners to choose other more sustainable options. Currently we pay for our polystyrene to be responsibly recycled and converted into building materials at the Monash Recycling & Waste Centre.
Imperfect or Damaged Goods
If a glass is imperfect but not broken it goes on our seconds shelf to be sold at a heavily discounted price. Staff have free access to our seconds to use at home or to give to family and friends. If a product is broken, it is responsibly recycled. Glass is an infinitely recyclable material and is placed back into circulation to create jars, containers, drinking glasses or even tarmac.
In the Future
Carbon Offsetting
From 2024 onwards we will continuously pay to offset the carbon emissions produced by our importation of goods to Australia. As part of this plan we will also contribute a percentage of profits to offset emissions created prior to 2024, with the intention of offsetting 100% of our freight emissions.
Planting Trees
Soon, a small proportion of every Malt & Brew order will go towards planting trees via the Eden Reforestation Project. This will help regenerate lost woodlands and rebuild damaged ecosystems.
Transparency Reporting
We'd like to be transparent. From 2024, we will publish a yearly report detailing our environmental impact and the progress of our sustainable initiatives — including use of ocean transit, the proportion of our carbon we have offset, the proportion of virgin materials used, and details on our own recycling efforts.