Saturday, 18 October 2025 14:25

Turning Old Grapevines into Gold: GreenVine Aotearoa’s circular solution

Written by  Sophie Preece
GreenVine Aotearoa is processing old grapevines in Marlborough into chip for biomass, biochar, animal bedding and landscaping. “We’ve got a home for as much grape chip as we can provide,” says Jimmy Stewart. GreenVine Aotearoa is processing old grapevines in Marlborough into chip for biomass, biochar, animal bedding and landscaping. “We’ve got a home for as much grape chip as we can provide,” says Jimmy Stewart.

Jimmy Stewart is quite literally chipping away at circularity.

The directors of GreenVine Aotearoa in Marlborough saw a common sense solution to the huge piles of old grapevines awaiting a bonfire, and began processing them into chip for biomass, biochar, animal bedding and landscaping.

"We've got a home for us as much grape chip as we can provide," Jimmy says, just days after dismantling multiple large piles about to be "torched" and finding treated vineyard posts tucked amid the vines.

The trunks were chipped for a ready client, while the treated posts - unsuitable for repurposing by Repost - were sent to landfill.

That's the next solution he's setting his mind to, finding a use for chipped treated posts.

Jimmy, whose company manages vineyard redevelopments, chips according to the end us, with bigger "nursery" products used to supplement other wood mass for biofuel, while finer grades are sold for biochar, calf bedding and landscaping.

Some vineyards choose to spread it back on the block, where it is cultivated into the soil.


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