1. Executive Summary
Overview: Sustainable Wine Solutions has launched an innovative bottle return scheme aimed at reducing single-use glass in the wine industry. By focusing on circular economy principles, the program promotes reuse, minimises waste, and significantly reduces CO2 emissions.
Key Outcomes:
- Achieved a 70% bottle return rate.
- Saved over 140 tonnes of glass from landfill in 2023.
- Reduced CO2 emissions by more than 22,000 kg annually.
2. Background
Industry Context: The wine industry faces significant sustainability challenges due to reliance on single-use glass bottles, which contribute extensively to CO2 emissions and waste.
Problem Statement: Traditional wine packaging relies heavily on glass, which incurs environmental costs in both production and disposal, particularly as most bottles are used only once before being recycled or discarded.
Goals & Objectives:
- Provide a zero-waste alternative to single-use glass.
- Support businesses in reducing packaging waste.
- Mitigate the wine industry’s CO2 footprint by offering a reuse-based model.
3. Program Design
Implementation Strategy: The Bottle Return scheme is structured to simplify and incentivise glass bottle returns. Wine is imported in bulk and packaged in lightweight, reusable bottles with a distinct white stripe, making them easy to identify for reuse.
- Collection Process: Bottles are collected from customers through a reverse logistics system, using the same vehicles that deliver new full bottles.
- Cleaning & Refilling: Reusable bottles are efficiently cleaned using water-soluble labels that wash off easily reducing water and chemical use.
- Distribution Channels: Sustainable Wine Solutions delivers direct across most of England, but also collaborates with distributors to expand reach in the extremities of the country, including Hammonds of Knutsford in the North West of England.
Technology & Tools: Reusable crates made from recycled plastic facilitate safe bottle transport and storage, further reinforcing the circularity of the process.
Stakeholders: Partners include wine producers, distribution partners, and eco-conscious customers who are motivated by cost savings and sustainability.
4. Marketing & Outreach
Awareness Campaigns: The scheme has been promoted through sustainability-focused events like the London Wine Fair, where all bottles from the fair were collected, analysed, and either reused or responsibly recycled.
Customer Engagement: Customers are incentivized to return bottles through a deposit scheme and sustainability messaging. Training is also provided to support both wine and sustainability education.
Education: The brand emphasises the environmental benefits of the scheme through customer-facing initiatives, like the six steps to return logic printed on the side of our reuse crates, reinforcing the value of each returned bottle.
5. Results
Data & Metrics:
- Return Rate: Achieved a 70% return rate, with top clients reaching up to 93%.
- Environmental Impact: Over 22,000 kg of CO2 saved, equivalent to avoiding more
than two years of average driving mileage for a UK vehicle.
- Waste Reduction: More than 140 tonnes of glass and 1020 kg of cardboard saved
from landfill.
Customer Feedback: Feedback has been positive, particularly from customers seeking to minimise waste output and reduce costs related to packaging disposal.
Challenges & Solutions: Logistical coordination for bottle collection posed initial challenges, which were addressed by implementing a streamlined reverse logistics approach with our own vans, and distributors who are closely aligned with our values.
6. Conclusion
Key Takeaways: The Bottle Return scheme demonstrates that circular models are both
feasible and impactful in the wine industry, cutting down waste and CO2 emissions. Future Outlook: Sustainable Wine Solutions plans to expand its distribution network and
enhance bottle return rates through continuous outreach and partnership-building.
Lessons Learned: Efficient logistics, customer education, and distinct branding (e.g., the white stripe on bottles) are critical to the success of closed loop reuse schemes in competitive markets.
