INITIATIVES designed to ensure that glass wine bottles have a sustainable future were recently discussed at O-I and Progressive Media International’s Wine Glass Bottles: A Bright Future virtual event.
The conference was chaired by wine marketing and communication specialist, Anne Burchett, who posed questions to industry stakeholders including Waitrose’s global bulk wine sourcing manager, Barry Dick, who highlighted the supermarket’s commitment to nature, stating Waitrose has a 150-year long history of being geared towards nature and the environment, with many decisions focused on that.
Asked what packaging is best for wine from a technical point of view, he replied that there’s ‘no doubt’ glass holds wine for the longest shelf-life and that you ‘could say by that measure’ that it’s the best format. However, he added that cans are ‘really positive’ and ‘definitely stretching’ long shelf-life, whilst bag in box is around 12 months.
Next up was Diana Goff, global foresights manager at O-I, who spoke about customer attitudes towards sustainability – with 49% of regular wine drinkers globally saying that they are willing to pay more for a product that is sustainably sourced. She noted that there is ‘some work’ to do in terms of its on-pack sustainability communication – with only 24% of drinks having a green pack claim, compared to 40% of the ‘clear leader’ in soft drinks.
Diana highlighted Treasury Wine Estates as one brand showcasing its sustainability credentials on pack, with its Lindeman’s range featuring a front-of-pack logo highlighting the product as certified by the Carbon Trust as carbon neutral.
“Having independent certification will for sure trigger purchase at the shelf,” Diana added. “Studies have shown that a large majority of consumers consider independent certification more trustworthy than schemes ran by brands themselves.”
Later on, Danielle Thompson, senior associate of the Carbon Trust, elaborated on the Carbon Trust certified label. She explained the label is a ‘really good marketing tool’ to show that a company is not greenwashing – with the Carbon Trust’s own findings revealing that 56% of UK consumers are more likely to purchase a product that carries the label than one that doesn’t.
Concluding the event was Melianthe Leeman, global marketing director of wine and spirits at O-I. “Some of my key takeaways are that sustainability is increasingly gaining importance and glass packaging will be an important part of the sustainable future of the wine industry,” she said. “A greener future for wine is about partnering, so not doing things alone – everyone in the supply chain has a role to play, ranging from the packaging suppliers to their suppliers, to distribution to customers, communities, and governments.”
