As vineyards around the world face the threat of increasing greenhouse gas emissions and climate change, one vineyard in France has planned to do its part to reduce its carbon footprint. The business plan makes perfect sense and is one that should be financially and environmentally sustainable.

 

Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte in Bordeaux in France is famous for its red wine. The owner of the winery has announced plans to capture the carbon dioxide produced during the fermentation process and convert it into sodium bicarbonate. He will then sell this sodium bicarbonate to pharmaceutical companies to be used for making toothpaste.

According to the Industrial Agricultural Products Center of the University of Nebraska, each gallon of wine produced is accompied by production of 6.29 pounds of carbon dioxide. While the carbon dioxide produced during the fermentation process is minimal when compared to that generated from other related activists like packaging and transportation, it can still prove harmful to the environment and certainly human health.