Wine industry discusses lighter packaging

Drinks suppliers and glass manufacturers are trying to think of ways of reducing the weight of glass bottles to lessen environmental impact.

At a forum in London last week organised by the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) and WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme), wine retailers and brand-owners expressed their concerns about lightweight wine bottle supply.

This was the first time the wine industry and its supply chain has come together to discuss the issue.

Debate centred on barriers to the introduction of lightweight bottles, likely UK demand and the levels of commitment and capital investment required to answer industry needs.

The WSTA’s Kate Coleman told decanter.com, ‘There have been no concrete solutions yet, but we have agreed to work more closely together to find answers.’

She said over the past year WSTA had been approached by its members who wanted to use more ecologically-sound bottles but had found it hard to source the glass from manufacturers.

Attendees included Constellation Europe, Kingsland Wine & Spirits, Bibendum Wine, E & J Gallo Europe, Tesco, Sainsburys, Quinn Glass, Saint Gobain and Ardagh Glass UK.

John Corbet-Milward, WSTA head of technical and international affairs said in a press release, ‘It’s clear the UK wine sector needs to reduce the thousands of tonnes of packaging waste it produces every year.’

Written by Jane Anson