Winetitles reports that a new Marlborough Circular Wine Programme will convert winery lees into soil amendments rather than sending the waste to landfill or wastewater systems. Led by Bragato Research Institute, the four-year NZ$6.98 million initiative combines NZ$2.79 million of government funding with industry investment and aims to divert more than 3,500 tonnes of solid lees annually, avoiding an estimated 4,700 tonnes of CO₂-equivalent emissions. Researchers will test whether the commercial-scale model can safely return organic matter and nutrients to vineyard soils and potentially be replicated in other wine regions.