La Madre hot cross buns go carbon-neutral

Posted by Nicole Eckersley on 9th March 2010

Boutique baker La Madre has announced they will offset the carbon footprint of their hot cross buns this year, with production expected to double and other products to follow by Christmas.

La Madre, a Geelong-based wholesale bakery, supplies a variety of boutique outlets, cafes and restaurants, including David Jones, Thomas Dux Grocer and selected Farmers’ Markets.

When the company expanded in 2009, La Madre enlisted the help of the Carbon Reduction Institute (CRI), to assist them in finding the best way to reduce their carbon footprint.  La Madre now offsets their production by purchasing carbon credits from the Karnataka Renewable Energy Project in India, which generates renewable energy from clean-burning waste from agricultural products like rice husks, and have been granted CRI accreditation.

“As a business owner, I believed I have a moral and social responsibility to give back to the community by adopting a sustainable path in the business. As a small business, I was astounded at how much CO2 emissions the company was giving off,” said La Madre’s owner, Anna Spurling

“Eventually as the business grows, all of the products and manufacturing facility will be carbon neutral. La Madre Bakery is taking a holistic approach to its business, of which looking after the environment plays a significant role.”