Investing for tomorrow
Sustainability
Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do. From the vineyard to the bottle, we are committed to minimising waste and supporting a circular economy.
B Corp Certification
Wither Hills is thrilled to be part of LION, which has now joined the global Certified B Corp movement. This means our business practices are certified on environmental, social, and governance standards.
We strive to be transparent and accountable for our impact and adapt our practices to reflect evolving social and environmental issues. We’re proud to be part of a community of companies working together for change and taking part in collective action to advocate for a shared goal of a global economy that benefits people and the planet.
Lion's full impact report is available on the B Corp Directory at bcorporation.net
Restoring Biodiversity
Rarangi Wetlands Conservation Project
Located within our vineyard, the Rarangi Wetlands form part of the largest freshwater complex in the Wairau Plains. For nearly 20 years, our team has worked to restore these unique freshwater wetlands. We have reintroduced over 20,000 native seedlings to the area and have helped this ecosystem flourish by creating a safe sanctuary for native wildlife. Every year, our team is supported to volunteer a day of their time and work on projects that support the restoration of biodiversity across our vineyard.
Our Community
Our Marlborough team regularly fundraise for local charities such as the Marlborough Hospice, Cancer Society, Marlborough Women’s Refuge, Graeme Dingle Foundation and Marlborough Youth. Employees are also allowed to choose a ‘Force for Good’ goal to be part of their annual achievement review, which enables employees to work on sustainability initiatives, and be recognised and rewarded for their efforts.
Measured Progress
Our B Corp certification works alongside our Sustainable Winegrowers NZ (SWNZ), ISO14001, and Toitū Carbon Zero certifications. These independent standards hold us accountable to measurable goals for carbon reduction and environmental management.
We are a Toitū Net Carbon Zero certified production site. Our team works to monitor and minimise our environmental impact across all our operations. On the ground, this includes recycling initiatives, reducing waste streams, and investing in our community through volunteering and local sponsorship.
Circular Resource Use
We invest in reusing and recycling resources across our winery. Waste reduction initiatives on site have reduced costs, whilst reducing our environmental footprint. Our wine is packaged in recyclable packaging. In the vineyard we recycle plastic packaging into vineyard posts, repurpose grape marc into compost and animal feed, and treat and reuse winery wastewater for irrigation. We continually explore options to improve. A recent example has seen the wine team move work orders to a paperless system, which has not only reduced paper use but also streamlined the process so we are able to operate much more efficiently.