Waitrose has announced it will be replacing the majority of its small wine bottles with aluminium cans. The move will save around 320 tonnes of glass packaging from landfill in its first year and is a significant step towards reducing the company’s carbon footprint.
Due to appellation restrictions, all small bottle wines, apart from Champagne, Prosecco, Cava and Rioja, will be transitioned to the new format.
“We’re delighted to pioneer this move and make reducing waste even easier for our customers. Aluminium cans weigh significantly less than glass and create less than half the amount of CO2 than the equivalent single-use glass bottle. Cans can also be recycled an infinite number of times,” said Barry Dick, MW, Beer, Wine and Spirit Bulk Sourcing Manager at Waitrose.
“We know that more people are buying their drinks in canned formats from cocktails on the go to craft beer which is why making this shift in our wine category makes so much sense. Picking up a can of wine is a great way to enjoy wine in moderation, especially if you’re heading to a picnic or a social occasion. It also enables customers to try a new variety without worrying about wastage or cost. We hope the move will encourage suppliers to continue to develop a diverse and exciting range of wines in cans.”
Last year, Waitrose customers purchased nearly three million small bottles of wine across the still and sparkling categories.
