Two white wines in Packamama bottles made from Prevented Ocean Plastic™ are now part of The Wine Society’s range.
As part of The Wine Society Sustainability Plan and goal to half its total carbon footprint by 2032, the retailer will now list four wines packaged in 100% recycled plastic. A pair of white wines, including the Society’s best-selling White Burgundy, are packed in colourless bottles made from Prevented Ocean Plastic™.
The bottles are produced by climate tech packaging specialists, Packamama, and, along with their caps and labels, are all fully recyclable.
The flat design and light weight compared to glass (63g vs glass average of 453g) of the bottle means significant carbon emissions savings can be made in relation to production, transport, and recycling.
Unlike glass, the colourless rPET bottles by Packamama also have a UV inhibitor added that protects the wine from light strike. The red wines are packed in green bottles and both these and the colourless bottles have an advanced oxygen scavenging barrier technology that allows for a good shelf life for the wine – although The Wine Society recommend drinking within 12 months of purchase.
The labels are specially designed to work with rPET bottles and the recycling process and uses specially designed adhesive to make the bottles recyclable. The screwcaps are also tethered to comply with the EU directive on single use plastics and ensure no caps are left behind and the full bottle makes it in one piece to the recycling point.
The Wine Society has streamlined the shipping and bottling process, to ensure the transportation of the wines from winery to The Wine Society is as carbon efficient as possible.
Dom de Ville, Director of Sustainability and Social Impact at The Society commented, “According to our research, glass bottles account for 31% of The Society’s total emissions. To achieve our ambitious reduction targets, we need to significantly reduce our emissions attributable to packaging. One way to do this is putting more of our wines into lower-carbon packaging formats. Although rPET might sound controversial, with today’s technology and in the absence of a proper system in the UK to collect and reuse glass bottles, the recycled plastic bottle is a good option, with a lower-carbon footprint than glass and can be recycled kerbside at home.
While we recognise there is a plastic pollution problem, it is not necessarily plastic itself that is the problem, rather it is what we do with it. This is why we are taking a practical approach; working with initiatives such as Prevented Ocean Plastic – seeing its benefit in our efforts on climate change, rather than taking a black-or-white stance that all plastics are bad.”
Santiago Navarro, CEO & Founder of Packamama, said, “We are deeply grateful that, following a successful trial last year, the world’s oldest wine club has taken this leadership step to permanently implement one of the world’s latest bottle technologies to reduce their emissions and contribute to achieving their bold sustainability goals. We are humbled and motivated to be collaborating with The Wine Society, and to see them supporting this move by offering these wines at a discount to glass, and we hope this serves as a catalyst for others in our industry to trial or implement innovations to slash their carbon footprint in a worsening climate crisis.”
Available to buy now, the rPET bottles all retail 25 pence below the price of the equivalent glass bottles:
- The Society’s White Burgundy 2023 rPET 75cl bottle £11.70
- The Society’s Beaujolais Villages 2023 rPET 75cl bottle £10.25
- The Society’s French Chardonnay 2023 rPET 75cl bottle £8.50
- The Society’s French Pinot Noir 2023 rPET bottle 75cl bottle £8.25
The news follows LVMH’s decision to choose Prevented Ocean Plastic™ in 2022. That wine, a 2021 vintage rosé, hailed from Château Galoupet, one of only 18 Cru Classé estates in Provence. The bottle, 100% made from recycled Prevented Ocean Plastic™ and also recyclable, represented a first for both the region and the luxury drinks specialist.
Prevented Ocean Plastic™ is so proud to be part of such thought-leading partnerships.
Prevented Ocean Plastic™ is high quality, certified recycled plastic that has been collected from coastal areas at risk of ocean plastic pollution. Used by supermarkets and brands around the world, it meets regulatory health and safety standards, is traceable back to source and can be identified on-pack through its distinctive triangular logo. Prevented Ocean Plastic™ was an official nominee for the 2023 Earthshot Prize, and counts Lidl, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Booths Supermarket as key partners, along with major manufacturing partners such as Groupe Guillin, Spectra Packaging, and Berry Global for offerings across multiple product categories, including fish, poultry, soft fruits, pet food, personal care, and home cleaning.
