Our Sustainability Initiatives

Kinross has an ever growing list of sustainability practices, these are from the hotel to the kitchen, bistro to the wellness of our team.  All of these are equally important to the success of the business and team while overall focusing on the environment.

Our 200 Hour Promise

Our team got together to discuss the ways we would give back to our community, utilising the skills and experience we as a group offered.

Where we landed was our '200 Hour Promise'.

This Promise - is a commitment to delivering 200 hours volunteering each year to local groups focused on protecting our environment – these include weed reduction and replanting of natives on wine partner land, volunteering for the NZ Nature Fund, the Wakatipu Reforestation Trust community nursery and planting days and the Arrowtown Choppers planting days.

We have made incredible impact already in the past 12 months, working closely with wine partners and local not for profits to play our part and take care of our beautiful home.

We include our wider community in doing this - our partners, flatmates and children are all involved!

Vineyard

Kinross is currently year three of a five year process to become fully organic following the Biogro certification process. We are proud to be committed to this process which helps us deliver to our kaitiakitanga promise to be careful and respectful custodians of our land, to produce premium quality fruit and also protect the flora, fauna, animals and people who reside and work here.

We also:

  • Planting of cover crops on every second row to increase biodiversity (bees, insects, flowers, pollination etc)
  • The Kinross warehouse uses recycled boxes for wine shipments, cutting down on the cardboard to the recycling centre.
  • Wine deliveries from our Wine Partners are in reusable crates which are then returned to our Wine Partners to be re used again and again.
  • Managing stock control and wine delivery from the storage facility once a week to cut down on emissions.
  • Develop deeper relationships with our wine partners, undertaking Native Tree planning to benefit the environment and working relationships.

Wine Distribution

  • The Kinross warehouse uses recycled boxes for wine shipments, cutting down on the cardboard to the recycling centre.
  • Wine deliveries from our Wine Partners are in reusable crates which are then returned to our Wine Partners to be re used again and again.
  • Managing stock control and wine delivery from the storage facility once a week to cut down on emissions.
  • Develop deeper relationships with our wine partners, offering volunteering services on their land for weed reduction, historic restoration projects and native tree planting

Kitchen

  • Encourage the suppliers we work with to reduce packaging including plastics and cardboard.
  • Recycle food scraps onsite to be broken down and composted.
  • Where at all possible work with local suppliers to provide Kinross with ingredients which reduces the carbon footprint.
  • Build relationships with the local suppliers, in turn we will help to tell the stories of the area to visitors.
  • Working with local suppliers who have the same ethos and values as Kinross.
  • Use Bio packaging for takeaway meals from Kinross.
  • The water from the Kinross kitchen is able to be discharged back into the stormwater system.
  • Our cooking oil is stored and recycled. This is in-line with local council and Government regulations. All the waste oil is collect and processed through MAF approved zero waste processing plants.

    OUR GOALS FOR 2023-2024
  1. Have 5% of our menu grown onsite
  2. Have 20% of our menu sourced within 100km of Kinross
  3. Increase our compostable rubbish from 62% - 75%
  4. Decrease our landfill rubbish annually from 7 tonne to 4 tonne
  5. Convert 30% of our compost to be used for nutrient building for our vege garden and other gardens on site.

    We measure this by utilising our local waste and sustainability experts, Wastebusters

Bistro

  • Offer visitors takeaway cups and a cup library.
  • Refillable glass water bottles are used for guests dining, these are washed and sanitised onsite before being refilled and used again.
  • Wash napkins onsite to reduce unnecessary transportation.
  • Bistro furniture, where possible, is made from recycled materials usually from the Kinross site.
  • No plastic straws.
  • Locally roasted coffee from Arrowtown is delivered in refillable tins which are then returned and used again.
  • Beer is delivered in kegs which are reusable, reducing unnecessary wastage.

Cottage Accommodation

  • Moved to bagless rubbish bins in cottage accommodation and offering in room recycling which housekeepers sorts (glass/ plastic/ cardboard etc).
  • In room toiletries are in refillable containers therefore less wastage is going to landfill.
  • Repurposing products where possible to ensure that we can cut down unnecessary wastage.
  • Our Hot Tub water is not treated therefore it can be absorbed back into the Kinross eco system.
  • Glass milk bottles in rooms, supplied by Windy Ridge, are delivered and picked up once a week to be refilled.
  • Moving compendium online to help with unnecessary printing.
  • Linen company we use has a sustainability ethos as well. For example old towels are cut up and repurposed as cleaning rags or donated to the local cat charity.

Team Wellness

  • Offering wellness courses for team to look after their wellbeing.
  • Rostering team members who live near each other on the same shifts to encourage the team to car-pool where possible to reduce emissions.
  • Offer regular team activities to offer stress release and team bonding.
  • Staff values are written by the team, this ensuing that everyone has the same ethos, values and works together in a positive manner.
  • Scheduling regular team training. This offers the team regular development and encourages them to grow their careers and skillset.
  • Offering what we call #Kinrosslife sessions, knowledge building in areas outside of work to build overall health, wellbeing and security; including money management, understanding mortgages, mindfulness and more.
  • Daily smoothies and nourishing staff lunches are provided to keep the team energised.

Other

  • Where possible use natural materials in printing collateral and signage to encourage a lower carbon footprint.
  • Electronics (phones/ laptops etc) are usually bought refurbished and when newer ones are bought the older ones are repurposed within the business.
  • We have bees at Kinross which help to contribute to the local eco system.