Did you know that half the carbon used to produce a bottle of wine is for the glass itself?
Switching to lighter-weight bottles has at least three positive benefits for helping heal the planet.
1. Space and weight efficiency
The pandemic has greatly accelerated online wine sales in the last few years.
More and more wine drinkers are buying their favorites online. It is estimated that at least 11% of the US population will purchase wine online. Among regular wine drinkers, this number rises to more than 30%.
Wine is bulky and heavy enough without the added weight of the packaged glass.
By significantly reducing just the bottle weight, you also reduce the size of the bottles and the space they take up on the plane or truck.
This means greatly reducing the emissions for each shipment of wine because less fuel is needed to transport them.
2. Carbon footprint reduction
Consider this statistic from SommWine: Replacing one billion glass bottles with PET plastic bottles saves around 90,000 tons of carbon monoxide.
A 2020 study by the California Wine Institute found that traditional glass bottles accounted for 29% of the wine’s carbon footprint. Transportation of the wine accounts for another 13%.
We enjoy wines from the far corners of the world as much as anyone, but it’s hard not to think about the cost of shipping that wine worldwide.
BLUE BIN wines are produced in sunny California (Sonoma) at River Road Family Vineyards and Winery (a Certified B Corporation). The wine does not need to travel very far to reach your doorstep. Choosing domestic wines shipped in lightweight, recyclable containers just makes sense!
Of all the things individual consumers can do to live and consume sustainably, choosing lightweight wine bottles might be the easiest (and most enjoyable)!
3. Recycling and consumer behavior
Recycling rates vary greatly from state to state. Only 10% of states have laws that reward consumers for recycling bottles.
If the bottle is made from 100% recycled materials and is 100% recyclable, it’s easy to see the “double benefit” of choosing this type of wine packaging.
However, recycling plastic bottles is not without challenges. Consumers are less likely to recycle plastic than glass despite the obvious environmental benefits.
But if there is one thing we ALL can do, it’s change our behavior.
At BLUE BIN wines, we aim to do just that by providing a viable option to wine lovers everywhere.
Good for you; good for the planet
Now that you know and are seeing the first wine bottle that is 100% recycled and 100% responsible, you have great responsibility.
And great responsibility calls for great action – for the planet, the wine industry, and yourself.
We invite you to “Join the Journey” with us and stay connected to our mission by signing up for our email list.
Together, we can make a difference!
