GOING GREEN

In line with our position as global leaders in sustainable production, Wines of South Africa (WOSA) is aiming to make Cape Wine and Vindaba a green event. Our aim is to reduce, re-use and recycle wherever we can. This extends to innovative stands, built of recycled materials, which will be flat-packed after the show for wineries to use again. Delegates will also be able to contribute through various carbon offset options at the show, helping us measure and evaluate our efforts every step of the way.

This is our green policy. We are developing it as we learn more, but so far, so good!

Wines of South Africa Green Policy

The Cape Wine Green Story

Independent Evaluation of the Success of Cape Wine in implementing a Green Policy

CAPE WINE 2012 – A GREEN EVENT
The South African wine industry is a world leader in sustainable production. Wines of South Africa (WOSA) is continually striving to integrate sustainable practices into all aspects of its working environment, and taking steps to reduce its carbon footprint and ecological impact.

OBJECTIVES
It is spring, and time to go green in more ways than one as WOSA aims to make both Cape Wine 2012 and Vindaba green events.
Our approach is to REDUCE, RE-USE and RECYCLE – and what cannot be reduced, re-used or recycled will be OFFSET. From innovative re-usable stands made from recycled materials to delegates contributing through various offset options at the show, we will be measuring and evaluating our green journey every step of the way in order to set a benchmark, improve future events and ultimately ensure that we have less of an impact on the planet.

OUR POLICY
Flights & transport

We will endeavour to:

• Use fewer vehicles, eg encourage car pools and/or the use of MyCiTi, Cape Town’s new rapid bus service
• Arrange group airport transfers instead of individual ones
• Use hotels in walking distance of event
• Provide walking options to events by creating safe routes with guards
• Use hybrid cars or cars that use alternative fuels
• Travel with companies that have green policies and actively reduce their impact on the environment, eg make use of GreenCab, Cape Town’s only carbon-neutral transport service

Accommodation
Accommodation should be close to the conference venue to minimise use of transport.

Hotels and guest houses will be required to have a green policy that covers as many of the following as possible:

• Have energy efficient lighting and maximise usage of natural light
• Have a recycling programme in place
• Implement and clearly display a towel and sheet re-use policy for guests
• Provide toiletries in refillable dispensers rather than single-use containers
• Provide a paperless booking, checking-in and –out, and billing process for guests
• Inform and educate guests about its environmental initiatives and policies

Venue
We are holding our event at the Cape Town International Conference Centre because:

• The CTICC is rated as Level C by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)
• The CTICC is centrally situated within walking distance of public transport and hotels
• The CTICC has policies in place regarding:
  • energy efficiency
  • eco procurement
  • waste minimisation
  • water efficiency
  • greenhouse gas emissions

Food, beverages & procurement
At our events, we will use:

• Recyclable products that carry the recycle logo where possible
• Sustainable product materials where possible
• Exhibitor stands made from Xanita Board (see www.xanita.com), a local product that is light, sturdy and simple to erect; best of all , it is reusable – at the end of the show, stands will be flat-packed for exhibitors to take with them and re-use at other wine shows
• Energy-efficient bulbs and solar energy
• No bottled water – recyclable cups for drinking water
• Cups from recyclable material as individual spittoons
• Biodegradable cleaning products
• Fresh, locally sourced seasonal produce

We will also:

• Provide recycling bins for paper/glass/plastics
• Provide free Wi-Fi and power points for charging mobile phones and laptops
• Adhere to the Southern African Sustainable Seafood Initiative (SASSI) guidelines for sustainable fishing and consumption (see www.wwfsassi.co.za)
• Donate leftover food to charities to avoid waste
• Collect corks and screwcaps for recycling

Marketing & communications material
At our events, we will:

• Reduce use of printed material as far as possible
• Encourage use of virtual instead of paper catalogues, eg on laptops and mobile phones
• Use recycled paper when printing is unavoidable
• Request delegates to recycle material when finished using it
• Provide durable reusable goodie bags and memory sticks containing marketing material and information communications
• Ensure availability of and encourage the use of electronic communication at every opportunity
• Ensure signage is reusable

OFFSETTING YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT
Long-distance flights are not ecologically friendly but delegates will be able to offset their carbon footprint by buying trees from one of two initiatives, which will be represented at Cape Wine 2012, in the certain knowledge that they will be planted.

The Kluitjieskraal Community-based Conservation Initiative is a nursery located in the Upper Breede River region of the Cape winelands. The thousands of trees produced on a yearly basis are utilised to complement active restoration of riparian habitats in the Cape winelands. This includes re-vegetation of degraded natural areas, wetlands and riparian zones following recent floods, in order to stabilise soils, providing habitat for freshwater flora and fauna, as well as creating an environment conducive to healthy and functioning ecosystems. Plants and trees are propagated at the nursery and distributed in the region during conservation campaigns and restoration projects managed by WWF-SA’s Biodiversity & Wine Initiative (see www.wwf.org.za and www.bwi.co.za ), in collaboration with key partners in agriculture, tourism and conservation. Through the kind donations and support at Cape Wine 2012, with specific reference to the Biodiversity Offset Initiative as part of the official green policy for the event, WWF-South Africa, through the BWI, will be able to continue with this critical conservation work in partnership with the women driving the Kluitjieskraal Community-based Conservation Initiative.

Platbos (www.platbos.co.za) is an ancient indigenous forest situated at the southernmost tip of Africa. Described by botanist and author Professor Eugene Moll as “a unique South African forest jewel”, Platbos enchants and inspires all who visit it. A relic forest with trees of over 1 000 years of age, Platbos is vulnerable to runaway fires. Indigenous forests are rare and endangered ecosystems covering less than 0.05% of the Western Cape. The Trees for Tomorrow Reforestation Project was conceived in the wake of the devastating fires of 2006. When you make a donation to plant a tree at Platbos, you are helping to conserve and extend the biodiversity of the forest. For when you plant a tree at Platbos, you are sponsoring a square metre of forest canopy and the myriad life forms this supports – from mosses, lichens, birds and bees, to bushbuck and honey badgers. Whether it's planting a tree in honour of someone special, or sponsoring tree planting to minimise your ecological footprint, your participation in the Trees for Tomorrow Reforestation Project is what enables us to realise our goal in conserving and rehabilitating this unique forest.