Bodega Norton has instituted an initiative to become even greener. Already practicing organic farming methods including no pesticide use, Norton has started a program of using their water more efficiently in the arid region of their Mendoza vineyards and has progressed to implementing resourceful waste management innovations.
By using drip irrigation, digging wells and constructing several damns, Norton administers its own water use and has reduced its usage by one third in the last five years. Bodega Norton has also built a water treatment plant that allows for the reuse of water for irrigation. In 2007, the Rotary Club International noticed Norton’s water conservation efforts and nominated the winery for its responsible use of this resource. Today, they are in the process of integrating solar panels to power the water treatment plant.
Aside from conservative water programs, Norton sends all its waste to certified waste management plants. 80% of winery-generated waste is recycled, and many recycled products come back to the winery for reuse in glass and cartons. Using a lighter bottle, Norton was the first to adopt the “eco-friendly” bottle which reduced 700 tons of waste in its first year. Currently, Norton is developing ways to use recycled paper labels for bottles and soy ink for printing.
With all this effort, Bodega Norton is pre-certified under the ISO 14.001 Standard – Environmental Management. The winery is also in the process of being certified as “Fair Trade” through the Fair Trade Labeling Organization. All this highlights Norton’s commitment to the environment. No wonder Bodega Norton was awarded the “Best Company of the Year” by the Mendoza Executives Association!