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Accolade Wines partners with ecoSpirits to reduce on-trade glass waste
Accolade Wines has launched a closed-loop wine distribution pilot programme in Australia with Sydney-based on-premise venues in the first half of 2022.
With over 30 billion single use glass wine bottles produced each year, the partnership aims to significantly reducing the industry’s impact on the environment.
The pilot scheme will be spearheaded by Accolade’s leading eco-wine brand, Banrock Station.
The partnership with ecoSpirits feeds into Accolade’s broader global sustainability strategy ‘Making Every Drop Count’. The company has previously achieved carbon neutrality in the European operations, 98% recyclable packaging across Australia and Europe, and 98% landfill avoidance in Australian vineyards.
Under the closed-loop wine distribution pilot program, Australia’s first wine recycling plant will be located in central Sydney, making it accessible to bars and restaurants.
Banrock Station will be launching a trial of the circular wine packaging technology with Sydney-based on-premise venues in the first half of 2022.
The wine will be transported and delivered to venues in a fully reusable 4.5-Litre glass container, instead of individual 750ml wine bottles, where it will be dispensed and re-bottled.
Once emptied, the vessels will be returned to the plant, where they are sanitised and refilled, in line with organic and biodynamic wine certification bottling standards.
Banrock Station’s Pinot Grigio, Rosé and Pinot Noir will be the first wines trialed in the pilot scheme.
As part of the partnership, ecoSpirits and Accolade are set to collaborate on a study of the lifecycle reduction in single waste and carbon footprint associated with closed loop distribution of the Banrock Station wines.
Paul Gabie, ecoSpirits CEO said of the partnership: “As one of the biggest and most innovative wine companies in the world, Accolade Wines was an obvious partner to work with on this launch. Their commitment to sustainability in packaging – and beyond – is genuine and of global impact. We can’t wait to see the uptake of this world-first in wine around Australia and globally.”
Last week Pernod Ricard announced plans to implement a closed-loop distribution system for bars in Hong Kong and Singapore, reducing carbon emissions and glass waste in the on-trade. Read more on that here.
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