The Wine Bottle of the Future is Reusable
This Climate Talk is moving past the “low-hanging fruit” and reaching for the stars – showcasing wine bottle reuse. The bottle accounts for 50%-70% of a wineries’ CO2 emissions, due to the amount of heat required to melt glass along with transportation. Recycling decreases total emissions however, the CO2 budget of a bottle made from recycled glass is still very high, and much of the world’s recycling infrastructure is dysfunctional, leaving a huge proportion of wine bottles buried in landfills. For the wine industry to reach zero emissions and continue to use the very best, inert recipient for bottle aging, the only solution is bottle reuse.
We have four companies, from four different countries, joining us to share their experience with bottle reuse so that we can revive this once widely practiced tradition.
THE DISCUSSION
Part 1) Why bottle reuse?
-The necessity of bottle reuse to reach Paris Agreement emission goals
- Alternate packaging options and their advantages and disadvantages
-Glass is the best for wines that are not consumed immediately. ``Zero waste`` packaging are the sustainability gold-standard for goods and produce. What does this mean for a glass bottle?
Part 2) What the wine industry needs to put in place to reuse our bottles.
-The logistics of bottle reuse. Returning, washing & storage. The label adhesive.
-Consumer participation and how that can be incentivized
-The cost of a new bottle vs. a returned & washed bottle
-Legislation
-An industry standard bottle
HOST
Diana Snowden Seysses . FRANCE
Winemaker at Domaine Dujac; Winemaker and Proprietor at Snowden Vineyards; Global Steering Committee at The Porto Protocol
GUEST
Melissa Saunders MW. USA
Wine Director at The Good Goods & Founder at Communal Brands
Melissa Saunders is the CEO & Founder of Communal Brands, a wine import and distribution company specializing in environmentally responsible practices, the Director of Wine at The Good Goods, a reusable wine bottle initiative, and one of 149 women worldwide to become a Master of Wine. As a winemaker, distributor and published writer, Melissa passionately advocates for wine packaging strategies that will greatly reduce the industry’s environmental impact.
GUEST
Muriel Chatel . UK
Managing Director of Borough Wines & Sustainable Wine Solution
Originally from a family of winemakers in Bergerac, Muriel started as Borough Wines at Borough Market over 15 years ago. She is behind the company’s vision, and is responsible for pioneering wine on tap in the UK and pivoting towards the circular economy. In 2019 the company rebranded and successfully transitioned from a B2C to a B2B model. www.sustainablewinesolutions.co.uk
GUEST
Bernard Grafé . BELGIUM
CEO & Owner at Grafé Lecocq
N/A
GUEST
Lise Rolland . FRANCE
Marketing and communications director at Oé
Lise is in charge of marketing and communication projects at Oé, where her main role talking about our commitments to the community and share with OÉ’s partners news that promote and help with their own best practices.
