Cottonwood Creek Winery was established in April of 2005 and is a branch of Bronco Wine Company. At Cottonwood Creek we farm and process the organic grapes for use in BWC’s organic wine brands. Being an organic winery we have taken a special interest in our recycling program to ensure we do everything possible to protect the environment. We utilize the methods of reduction, reuse, and recycling in the maintenance of our True Zero Waste certification and overall sustainability efforts. We are a small specialty winery with lean staffing and all CWC employees are in tune with our recycling goals and are able to focus on all aspects of our recycling program.
A large contributor of the reuse portion of our program is that of grape skins, stems, and seeds (pomace) along with our and filtration byproducts (diatomaceous earth) which are redistributed as compost to our vineyards in the immediate area. These materials are spread back into the vineyards and tilled into the soil enriching the earth which contributes to the production of superior fruit. Since the pomace generated is organic it is also favorable to companies that promote organic products such as vitamins and oils.
Cottonwood Creek earned its TRUE Zero Waste certification in 2017. The facility maintains a diversion weight from landfill of over 99%. CWC also recycles all other basic materials such as paper, plastic, cardboard, glass, wood and CRV containers, to name a few. We utilize the same recycling structure as our parent company (BWC) in the execution of our Zero Waste ambitions.
Items attributed to Cottonwood Creek’s Zero Waste success:
- Continual training of recycling methods and establishing a recycling culture that employee’s embrace.
- Solicitation for suggestions in program improvement encouraging recycling engagement from all participants
- Selecting partners in their supply chain with like goals
- Persistent exploration for avenues in the recycling of non-common items
- Providing receptacles for all recyclable materials in offices, break areas and production floors
- Absolute support and commitment from ownership
- Constantly raising the bar for companywide recycling performance
- Company wide support to aid in the continual improvement of the program
In the spirit of giving back, a portion of Bronco’s yearly recycling revenue is used to purchase gifts for the United States Marine Corps Toys for Tots program.