Salcombe Distilling Co. Partners with Marine Conservation Society to Fund Important ‘No Anchor Zone’ to Protect Seagrass Meadows

Environmentally driven Salcombe Distilling Co. is proud to have partnered with the Marine Conservation Society to fund vital work to protect Seagrass meadows off the coast of Dorset’s Portland Harbour.  The purchase and installation of ‘no anchor zone’ buoys have been generously funded through Salcombe Distilling Co.’s ‘1% for the Ocean’ campaign, with their contributions now protecting or regenerating over 230,000m² of ocean habitat worldwide.  

On World Oceans Day in June 2021, the Devon-based spirits producer pledged to donate 1% of sales from their Salcombe Gin ‘Start Point’, ‘Rosé Sainte Marie’ and New London Light collection to their chosen ocean charity partners, Marine Conservation Society in the UK and SeaTrees in the US. 

Dr Jean-Luc Solandt, Principal Specialist of Marine Protected Areas at the Marine Conservation Society, explains why the ‘no anchor zone’ buoys are so significant:

“The area of Seagrass we are seeking to protect with this installation is around 300,000m2 and we’re aiming to protect it from damage made by visiting vessels anchoring in this area.  Seagrass is the most important habitat in the marine environment for our fight against climate change, even though it covers a very small amount of our sea, it is extremely effective at capturing carbon and supporting fish populations.”

The ocean connects, sustains, and supports us all, yet its health is at a tipping point and so is the well-being of all life that depends on it.  Blue carbon ecosystems such as Seagrass meadows, kelp forests and coral can store up to 10 times more carbon than tropical rainforests.  The section of Seagrass being protected with the ‘no anchor zone’ is part of the Castle Cove Sailing Club mooring area and is a popular spot for day trippers and water sports enthusiasts.

Ian Green the Vice Commodore at Castle Cove Sailing Club adds:

“In the summer months we get quite a lot of visitors to this beautiful location and unfortunately, they have little awareness of the Seagrass that exists on the seabed.  Something as simple as the marker buoys that have been placed here will make a big difference and we’re really grateful that the Marine Conservation Society and Salcombe Distilling Co. has taken an interest and provided these buoys.”

From July 2022 Salcombe Distilling Co. will extend its ‘1% for the Ocean’ initiative to include even more of their products.  Consumers will be able to rest easy knowing when they buy 50cl Salcombe Gin, any product from the hyper premium Voyager Series or Marabelle Gin, created in partnership with P&O Cruises, they are helping protect our oceans.

Ocean conservation and sustainability is hugely important to Salcombe Distilling Co.  Howard Davies, co-founder of Salcombe Distilling Co. explains why ocean conservation forms such a large part of the company’s ongoing strategy and why they are now donating even more:

“When we initially launched the business, we knew we wanted to do more than just create fantastic spirits, we wanted to do something related to the greater good and sustainability. It made perfect sense to do something connected to the ocean, being a waterside distillery, and with the installation of these buoys we have been able to bring together our ethos with that of the Marine Conservation Society to deliver something truly special. This activity is really valuable to me personally and means I can look at myself in the mirror each day and feel like we’re doing something with more than a purely commercial benefit.”

Other initiatives in place to support Salcombe Distilling Co’s. ongoing commitment to ocean conservation include;

Gin Refill Scheme: When returning an empty 70cl bottle of Salcombe Gin to the Salcombe or Dartmouth retail stores, customers can get a full refill with 10% off the retail price.  To encourage use of this waste reducing service, the 6th refill is now complimentary.

Carbon Neutral Shipping: All UK orders are dispatched using a carbon neutral shipping service.

Plastic Reduction: SDCo. has eliminated single-use plastic from packaging, instead opting for sustainable alternatives such as biodegradable tamper-proof seals made from sweetcorn husk and sugarcane. Boxes are sealed using paper tape. Conventional plastic bubble wrap and polystyrene fill have been replaced with biodegradable starch-based alternatives derived from vegetables, which can go directly in customers’ compost.

Renewable Energy: Electricity used across all company sites, is from 100% renewable sources.

‘Sustainable’ Cocktails: The SDCo. bar team has created cocktails made with locally foraged ingredients such as Alexanders and Sea Buckthorn shrub, vegan Dandelion honey and citrus stock which uses up the entire lemon, reducing waste from ingredients and their packaging.

Bottle Stopper: New London Light now features a bottle stopper made from recycled ocean-bound plastic. It’s a way of helping to ‘turn off the tap’ on dangerous plastic entering our oceans.

For further information about Salcombe Distilling Co., Salcombe Gin or New London Light visit salcombedistilling.com and follow on Instagram at salcombegin and newlondonlight.