He would like to see the New Zealand wine industry take a lesson from the past to create a sustainable future that could also become a marketing strategy. In essence he wants to see wines bottles reused, rather than just recycled. There’s no real reason, other than habit, for this not to happen. The technology is there, the feel good factor is there and the benefits far outweigh the negatives.
Let’s face it, it’s not so many years ago we were re-using milk and beer bottles. So why can’t we reuse wine bottles?
Currently the bottles if they are recycled, tend to end up as crush for our roads, with only a small proportion being reused in the making of new bottles. While recycling has taken off throughout the country, most regions tend to comingle their recyclables. That means glass, plastic, paper and cardboard are all placed in just one bin for collection. Bottles are damaged, the glass is mixed in with all the other recyclable products and there are obvious difficulties at separating the products at the end. Which makes the recycling process a nightmare.
Pollett says even if the glass is able to be recycled to help create a new bottle – the carbon footprint is far greater than that of reusing an old bottle. And in this day and age where consumers are questioning carbon footprints and sustainability that could be the difference between attracting a client, or not.
Currently it’s believed that up to two thirds of the carbon footprint (CFP) of a bottle of wine, is in the bottle itself. An environmental report undertaken last year (by Auckland based Eunomia Research & Consulting) showed by reusing wine bottles, the carbon footprint would be lowered by a massive 93%.
There is no hygienic issue involved with reusing bottles. Specialised bottle washing machines are high tech, checking for chips and cracks, prior to washing at a temperature of 80 deg Celsius. Add to that the cost of a reused bottle is expected to be lower than that of a new one, and the advantages begin to stack up. Which raises the question; why hasn’t the wine industry moved to adopt this technology?
Pollett says it will obviously take industry and consumer buy in, but the biggest sticking point (excuse the pun) is the fact the label stock used in New Zealand is not conducive to being removed via the current technology.
“One of the issues that we have had and it needs to be overcome is the labels. We have done a considerable amount of testing with two of the major bottle washing machine manufacturers in Germany. They have come back and said the vast majority of the labels won’t come off, due to the varying types of label stock and glue used to adhere the label to the bottle.
“We have come across a new type of label technology, produced by a company called Avery Dennison, one of the leaders in label stock production. They have a particular type of stock that will come off very easily in the type of washing machines we have looked at, but won’t come off where you don’t want it to, such as in a chiller or in an ice bucket.”
Even if wineries don’t intend to purchase reused bottles, the new labels would allow their stock to join the pool, providing a signal to consumers they are supporting sustainability.
So the first step for the wine industry, is to move towards easily removed wine labels. The second step, is to change the way people recycle their used wine bottles. That means a system where bottles are stored protectively, possibly in plastic crates, until collection.
While the largest sales of wine in New Zealand come via the off premise sector (now dominated by the 2 large supermarket chains), the easiest path to source used bottles is the on-premise.
“If we can educate the trade and show them it’s an easier, cheaper and more sustainable way to get rid of their empties, the project will gain traction,” Pollett says. “The consumer side will be harder to do, but ultimately more rewarding volume wise in terms of returns. Regional Councils need to cooperate to allow us to run trials where consumers can put their empties out for collection by charities and community groups (scouts, schools etc.) We will give those that pick up an incentive to do so.”
Long-term Pollett believes the benefits for the New Zealand wine industry are substantial. Given our hard fought for image of clean and green, the next step is to ensure that consumers the world over consider us to be the most environmentally friendly producer of high quality wine.
“New Zealand wine has done a fantastic job to come from an unrecognised wine production country 30 odd years ago to one that is at the top of its game. We are on average one of the highest priced per litre wine producers sold in the UK and that’s our biggest market. But we run the risk of losing that if sustainability becomes an issue. And in the UK sustainability is all important.”
Already two of the country’s largest wine producers, Pernod Ricard and New Zealand Vineyard Estates have shown support for the project, helping to co-fund the environmental report. Both companies believe there are benefits of reusing bottles, particularly in terms of cementing New Zealand’s clean, green image.
This country is no stranger when it comes to innovation and sustainability.
We were one of the first in the world to insist on full membership to a sustainable winegrowing programme, and we embraced the use of screwcaps to improve wine quality. Maybe the next step is to become the first country in the world to embrace the reuse of wine bottles.
If you would like more information regarding the Green Bottle project, contact Neil Pollett at; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ν
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
