Some of the biggest names in wine and spirits are tackling the issue of sustainable packaging head-on, and their efforts illustrate that eco-friendly packaging can be achieved in countless ways.
One Australian wine firm is conducting trials on alternate closures to cork and also is working to develop a post-consumer cork recycling service. The firm also has taken steps to increase the recyclability of its gift boxes.
Meanwhile, a California wine company has switched from glass bottles to bottles made from 94% recycled paperboard. The bottles are five times lighter than glass and boast a carbon footprint six times lower than glass bottles.
Not to be outdone, a luxury tequila brand in Mexico has turned to a compostable and biodegradable packaging solution incorporating agave fiber.
Learn more about these innovative approaches to sustainable wine and spirits packaging that made headlines in 2023.
Packaging Figures Big in Australian Wine Company’s Sustainability Goals
Treasury Wine Estates’ efforts to address “problematic” materials used in its products include transitioning from single-pack polystyrene shippers to a 100% cardboard packaging material that has been designed to have the same thermal properties. Courtesy of Treasury Wine Estates
Treasury Wine Estates (TWE), one the world’s largest wine companies with headquarters in Melbourne, Australia, has included several packaging goals in its 2023 Sustainability Report, mirroring other wine companies’ efforts to pivot toward packaging that is more eco-friendly.
“We continue to tailor recyclable packaging options to meet consumer needs and work with suppliers to build awareness of our ambitions, improve data and promote circular economy outcomes and sustainable packaging design,” the company says in the report. “Sustainable Global Packaging Guidelines help to inform choices amongst the business, and we continue to refine and improve governance.”
Tequila Komos Partners with Green Loop to Pioneer New Sustainable Packaging Solutions
Luxury tequila brand Tequila Komos has teamed up with Green Loop to pioneer a new sustainable packaging solution incorporating agave fiber. Courtesy of Tequila Komos
Tequila Komos, the category-leading ultra-luxury tequila brand, continues to set new environmental impact standards for the tequila industry by partnering with Green Loop, an emerging leader in sustainable packaging solutions.
Based in Jalisco, Mexico, Green Loop is the first company to innovate with ecosolutions using byproduct waste from the tequila industry and is the first Agave Bagasse Waste Recovery Center. As environmental-impact innovators, Green Loop is the only company 100% specialized in recycling bagasse waste from the tequila industry, offering innovative alternatives that help reduce the environmental impact and carbon footprint of tequila production.
Known for its highest-rated, ultra-premium portfolio and its commitment to advancing environmental stewardship projects, Komos is the first tequila producer to use BIOPALL by Green Loop — an eco-friendly, compostable and biodegradable packaging solution — in their operational supply chain. The Green Loop hybrid biopallets are made of 70% agave fiber and 30% wood sourced from sustainably managed forests.
California wine company begins contract filling of Frugalpac’s Frugal Bottles
Made from 94% recycled paperboard, Frugal Bottles weigh just 83g before filled and are five times lighter than glass, which translates to a carbon footprint six times lower than glass bottles. Courtesy of Frugalpac
California wineries will now be able to use the world’s first and only commercially available paper bottle for wines and spirits thanks to a partnership with King City’s Monterey Wine Company and British sustainable packaging firm Frugalpac.
Monterey Wine Company (MWC), a Californian custom wine production facility, has agreed to a deal with Frugalpac to see it become the first U.S. filler for the contract filling of Frugal Bottles with wines and spirits.
Frugal Bottles are made from 94% recycled paperboard with a food-grade pouch. They weigh just 83g before filled and are five times lighter than glass. This means it has a carbon footprint six times lower than glass bottles. They also offer 360° branding for exceptional, impactful shelf presence.
MWC is based in the U.S. heart of wine production, in King City on the Central Coast of California. With over 80% of all U.S. wines produced in California, lightweight Frugal Bottles offer drinks producers the opportunity to cut their carbon footprint by 84%.
