A heavyweight group of wine industry professionals in the UK is lobbying for the adoption of alternative wine formats and the elimination of heavy, environmentally friendly glass bottles
The WTAF (Wine Traders for Alternative Formats) published an open letter this week, calling for “real change in our industry and less reliance on heavy glass bottles”.
The group wants the introduction of consumer tax incentives for carbon-friendly alternative packaging.
The manufacturing and recycling of glass bottles is wine’s biggest greenhouse gas contributor, the WTAF says.
In order to minimise the carbon footprint of wines consumers drink - and to make lasting sustainable change - WTAF is urging the industry to seek out wines in alternative packaging wherever possible.
In an open letter to the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, James Cartlidge MP, it says: "The manufacturing and recycling of glass bottles is wine’s biggest greenhouse gas contributor.
"In order to minimise the carbon footprint of the wines we drink, we need to seek out wines in alternative packaging wherever possible.
"Switching from glass to alternative formats could save as much as 750,000,000 KgCO2e of emissions every year in the UK alone. This is the equivalent of taking 350,000 cars off the road overnight, and equates to well over a third of the carbon footprint of wine consumed in the UK."
The letter - signed by luminaries including Jancis Robinson and Hugh Johnson - continues: "The IPCC (International Panel on Climate Change) recently found that without deep and meaningful emissions reductions across all sectors, it will not be possible to limit global warming to 1.5°C. In the scenarios they assessed, greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced by 43% this decade.
"We believe that like all other sectors, wine is duty bound to achieve this target as an absolute minimum. This will not be possible without reducing our reliance on traditional glass bottles. Viable alternative formats include boxed wine, canned wine, kegs, returnable glass bottles, paper bottles and pouches, all of which come with vastly reduced carbon footprints as well as a variety of other benefits.
"Crucially, there is little or no perceivable difference in quality between these formats and wine in glass bottles for wines drunk within a few months of purchase, as most are."
Wine Traders for Alternative Formats (WTAF) describes itself as "an alliance of premium and innovative wine companies promoting quality wine in alternative formats".
Image: Australian producer Greenskin sells wine in recyclable pouches
