One bottle produces 500g waste, researchers find

University of Palermo researchers have worked out the cost to the environment of producing one bottle of red wine.

Researchers found that one bottle of 2004 Terre della Baronia from the Milazzo winery in Sicily created more than 1lb (0.5kg) of waste and put 16g of sulphur dioxide into the air.

In total, the 2004 vintage of 100,000 bottles generated 22,000lb (10,000kg) of plastic waste, 11,000lb (5,000kg) of paper and large amounts of wastewater.

In response to the team’s findings, the Milazzo winery has changed how it prints labels. It is also recycling plastic and has installed a system to reuse irrigation water.

The European Union’s environment directorate uses information gathered from such studies to provide consumers with more detailed information about the environmental impact of the products they buy.

Written by Emmet Cole