Eco-bottles gain wider UK acceptance

UK up-market grocery chain Waitrose has introduced a new wine brand, Virtue. Originating from the Central Valley in Chile, two Virtue wines are being shipped over to the UK in bulk and filled in lighter weight bottles. The 24,000 litre tanks hold the equivalent of 32,000 bottles of wine and saves the company 47 tonnes of carbon emissions per year.

FirstCape, the UK’s largest selling South African wine brand, has enhanced its environmental credentials by promoting the use of lighter bottles on their labels.

Manufactured by Consol Glass, the bottles use substantially less energy to produce, and lead to more efficient fuel usage for cargo ships coming from South Africa.

1 September 2009 - Felicity Murray