"By encouraging the industry to bulk import wine and bottle it here in the UK, we can reduce the amount of green glass entering our recycling systems and also increase the use of lighter weight bottles, which use less raw material and are better for the environment"
Andy Dawe, WRAP’s Glass Technology Manager
WRAP is exhibiting at the London International Wine & Spirits Fair (LIWSF) and is leading a groundbreaking programme for glass waste minimisation. Called GlassRite Wine, the programme was launched in 2006 to encourage lightweighting of wine bottles sold through UK off-trade, and to encourage more wine importers, brand owners and retailers to bulk import wine and then bottle it in lighter glass bottles manufactured in the UK.
The UK is the biggest importer of wine in the world, with over one billion litres imported each year from Europe and the New World. Around 80% of this wine arrives already bottled at source.
Research suggests that the current average weight of a 75cl wine bottle is 500g, but it is possible to produce 300g bottles. Constellation and Tesco have already signed up to GlassRite, and are engaged in a series of commercial trials to look at the issues surrounding bulk importing and lightweighting.
WRAP is also spearheading the use of lighter glass packaging in other food and drink sectors, including spirits and beer. Through this initiative Rockware Glass produced the first commercially available 70cl spirits bottle to weigh under 300 grams; Coors Brewers Ltd reduced the weight of its 300ml Grolsch beer bottle by 23%, and Adnams Brewery adopted a new ‘best in class’ lightweight bottle for its 500ml Broadside, Explorer and The Bitter brands.
By encouraging more widespread use of lightweight bottles, WRAP aims to reduce the amount of UK glass waste by 20,000 tonnes per year by 2008, equivalent to taking over 8,500 cars off the road each year.
Andy Dawe, WRAP’s Glass Technology Manager said:
“By encouraging the industry to bulk import wine and bottle it here in the UK, we can reduce the amount of green glass entering our recycling systems and also increase the use of lighter weight bottles, which use less raw material and are better for the environment.”
“As well as cutting glass waste, this approach also improves the industry’s carbon emissions profile, and saves money by reducing transport and energy costs.”
Andy added:
“We are looking forward to having a strong presence at this year’s LIWSF, and will be encouraging delegates to find out more about the commercial and environmental advantages of lightweight glass and bulk importing.”
Further information
LIWSF is taking place 22-24 May at London’s ExCeL. WRAP will be delivering a paper entitled “Bottling wine in a changing climate”, to be held at 1pm on Tuesday 22 May in the Waterfront Room (W11/1).
Visitors to the WRAP stand No F94 will also be able to enter a wine tasting competition to guess which of a selection of wines has been bulk imported and which has been bottled in the country of origin.