Thursday night was unlike most PC product launches I’ve done over the years. Rather than gather a bunch of reporters, bloggers and influencers in a ballroom or conference room, we hosted them in the Serge Sorokko Gallery and paired each new device with a delicious wine from Jackson Family Wines’ Portfolio (my kind of launch event)! The new #DellXPS Rose Gold stole the show, paired with the equally exquisite La Crema Pinot Noir Rosé.
But what impressed me most about the evening wasn’t Dell’s new fall lineup of devices or the wines, it was the sustainable business practices behind the Jackson Family Wine business (and ours).
Like Dell, Jackson Family Wines is a privately held company with a keen focus on delivering the highest quality products to its customers. Responsibility and environmental stewardship are also cornerstone to the family-owned and run business. We were lucky Thursday night to have Katie Jackson, VP of External Affairs and Sustainability, highlight many of their focus areas – outlined in their new Jackson Family Responsibility Report 2016 – from land stewardship to renewable energy and using technology to manage precious water usage. A few highlights from the Jackson’s Sustainability Report:
- Land matters. The Jackson family leaves most of their land unplanted, protecting thousands of acres to preserve biodiversity. Native trees and riparian corridors surround their vineyards to create habitats for wild species such as beneficial birds and insects that naturally control pests.
- Every drop of water matters. They have reduced total winery water usage 31 percent since 2008, equivalent to 28 million gallons saved annually. Today, Jackson Family Wines uses 30 percent less water than the industry average to produce their wines. The Jackson family has also partnered with Fruition Sciences to explore optimal vineyard water use technologies, including a plant sensor irrigation system implemented in 2012 that improves grape composition while reducing water use. The monitoring technology tells when to irrigate, essentially allowing the plant to communicate when it is thirsty. The grapes grown using these water sensors have improved quality in some vineyards while substantial water savings—upwards of 25 percent—have been realized.
- Alternative energy sources matter. Jackson Family Wines is the U.S. wine industry’s largest generator of onsite solar energy with 6.7MW of generation capacity across nine wineries. By reinvesting energy efficiency savings in clean, renewable energy, they offset over 1,400 homes’ worth of annual electricity use.
From the beginning, Dell, too, has made a commitment to factor sustainable practices into everything we do. It’s a core part of our overall strategy to create technologies that enable human progress. As outlined in our 2020 Legacy of Good Plan, our efforts in corporate responsibility are a priority. A few our results outlined in this year’s report include:
- Dell has recovered 1.6B lbs. of used electronics since 2007
- Recycled computers became 3.4M pounds of new parts for new desktops, displays and more
- Dell is the world’s largest technology recycler with takeback programs in 83 countries and territories
- By reducing the size of packaging and sourcing from sustainable materials, Dell avoided 31M lbs. of packaging and saved $65.9M since 2009; 93 percent of Dell packaging comes from sustainable resources (bamboo, mushroom, air carbon)
- 90 percent of Dell’s eligible products are ENERGY STAR® qualified and you can see in our sustainability report what we are doing with our own facilities, like the Jacksons, to use alternative energy sources.
I’m really proud of the work the team did to launch updates to the world’s favorite laptop – check out XPS 13 articles from our friends at The Verge, LAPTOP and Engadget, with Kevin Lee of TechRadar calling it “A golden crown for the king of laptops.” But as a person who hasn’t used a plastic baggie in almost five years, I’m most proud of the sustainability commitment of both Dell and Jackson Family Wines.
Next time you log onto your Dell PC or pick up a glass of Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay (my personal favorite), you can feel a little better about the contribution you are making to our planet. After all, everything we do is for you, our customers. Cheers!
