Canned Wine Co. is delighted to win the Sustainable Supplier award at the 2024 Footprint Media sustainability awards. Our team work tirelessly to implement a holistic approach to positive change throughout our supply chain to become the most sustainable version of ourselves. We realise it’s a work in progress but believe we are getting better as a team to implement real change year on year. We’re delighted to be recognised by Footprint Media and look forward to becoming an even better business in the months and years to come.
About Canned Wine Co.
Canned Wine Co. was founded to elevate thoughtful connections between people, planet and place, through wine. With quality and sustainability at the heart of the business, Canned Wine Co. showcase exciting single-varietal, vintage wines in smaller, infinitely recyclable formats. Expanding their portfolio of brands to include The Copper Crew they see a better way to enjoy wine – one that allows freshness, quality and sustainability. It is their aim to develop industry-leading technical knowledge within the canned wine industry and form long-term partnerships with talented winemakers across Europe to capture and share a sense of place and time.
“I was delighted to accept this award on behalf of Canned Wine Co. and celebrate with the other nominees and winners on the night. As a small team of only 8 people, this recognition from the drinks industry was an incredible testament to our continuous drive to offer a product that is both better for the environment and solves common challenges our trade customers experience.”
- Marieke Hammes, Head of Operations and Sustainability
Rather than a single business initiative, Canned Wine Co.’s award entry focused on their holistic approach to integrating sustainability into their overarching business strategy. From responsible procurement to packaging innovation and helping solve problems for their customers.
Here are some highlights from Canned Wine Co.’s approach:
Sustainable Procurement
Canned Wine Co. demonstrates a robust commitment to sustainable procurement practices by prioritising transparency and integration of sustainability requirements throughout their supply chain. Beyond meticulously maintaining supplier records when it comes to production, Canned Wine Co. have implemented ESG (environment, social, governance) tracking to assess key performance areas, which they continuously update through supplier self-assessment questionnaires. They exclusively collaborate with winemakers who prioritise land stewardship and sustainable vineyard practices, favouring regenerative or organic methods to minimise environmental impact. To mitigate transport emissions, wines are sourced solely from Europe and bulk shipped directly from the winery to the canning site. Regular in-person meetings with winemakers ensure ongoing supply relationship management and enable site audits for adherence to standards.
Sustainability Purpose
The brand’s impact strategy prioritises responsible sourcing and supply chain design, product design, key partnerships, developing employees and promoting sustainable lifestyles. Their governance KPIs include facilitating internal training for staff covering topics like sustainability, DEI, mental health awareness, energy conservation, and digital footprints. The brand has implemented a comprehensive sustainability action plan with clear KPIs and ESG targets, ensuring measurable progress. Sustainability remains a permanent item on the leadership agenda and transparent communication about the brand’s efforts underscores their dedication to positive impact. Additionally, they’ve cultivated an inviting culture, attracting top talent and solidifying their role as a local employer of choice.
Packaging Innovation
Core to Canned Wine Co.’s business model is championing premium wines in alternative packaging – aluminium cans. By sourcing high-quality, unusual grape varieties directly from top European winemakers and innovating in the shelf life of canned wines, Canned Wine Co. is able to push the boundaries of what premium wine means, creating a new market category in the UK. This has led to recognition from Decanter, Harrods, The National Trust and a limited edition with The National Gallery. Multi-sensory labels reflecting the wine inside help consumers confidently try canned wine and explore new grape varieties. Smaller serve sizes further help de-risking the decision to try wines at more premium price points, and allow venues to curate a small but diverse wine list with interesting grape varieties. Practically, introducing this format leads to less wine wastage across bars due to single serves and help customers with no-glass policies offer a premium serve.
Customer in Mind
For trade customers, wine-in-cans improve the speed of service, reduce storage requirements, breakages and wastage across their operations. Aluminium cans have a lower carbon footprint compared to traditional glass bottles and have a high recycling rate in the UK and continental Europe. With a 250ml can of wine weighing just 12g, making waste storage, disposal and collection more efficient and cheaper. Canned Wine Co. collaborates with Every Can Counts to encourage the responsible disposal of cans for recycling and work closely with stockists to deliver training sessions that empower teams to have conversations about sustainability.
Community Involvement
Community involvement is another top priority for Canned Wine Co. particularly when it comes to local education, culture and positive industry influence through policy advocacy. The company maintains a close relationship with the University of Bath to encourage knowledge sharing and placement opportunities. This extends to supporting and inspiring the wider student and alumni community, by participating in CV reviews, interview workshops, career panels and business showcases. Canned Wine Co. started a local network of entrepreneurs in Bath and co-founded a trade association for wine traders championing alternative formats. The brand also engages with the Wine and Spirit Trade Association, local MPs and industry-wide campaigns that support SMEs in the wine and hospitality industries. As part of its wider sustainability strategy, Canned Wine Co. has implemented two days of paid volunteering per annum for employees. Local, sustainability-focused charity partners are chosen for the team day and employees can dedicate another day to activism or volunteering aligned with personal sustainability passions.
