Waitrose will canne the mini wine bottles in an effort reduce the carbon footprint for take-out drinks.
All 187ml glass wine bottles that contain champagne, prosecco or cava will be replaced by aluminium cans. You can choose from three sizes: 187ml, 250ml or 200ml.
The “vin in the tin” initiative is expected to reduce glass packaging by more than 300 tonnes and will reduce carbon emissions by half. Recyclable cans are lighter than glass bottles and require less energy to transport.
This is a result of the popularity of “gin-in-a-tin” and other canned cocktails during the pandemic lockdowns. It also prompted outdoor drinking and picnics.
Because glass prices have almost tripled since the outbreak of the pandemic, drink manufacturers are looking for alternative packaging.
According to letsrecycle.com data, the price of aluminum has also increased but by only about a third. Waitrose stated that it wouldn’t necessarily see cost savings due to the policy shift because it costs more to fill a can.
Barry Dick, Waitrose’s beer, wine, and spirit bulk sourcing manager, stated: “We are delighted to lead this initiative and make it even easier for customers to reduce waste.” We are aware that people buy more drinks in cans, including cocktails on the move and craft beer. This is why we made this change in our wine category.
A can of wine is an excellent way to have wine with moderation, especially when you are going to a picnic or other social event. Customers can also try new varieties without worrying about cost or wastage. We hope that the move will inspire suppliers to create a wide range of exciting wines in cans.
New cans will offer a variety of grape options, including whites, reds, and roses from Sauvignon Blanc and Malbec as well as Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay.
According to the government, around three quarters of all aluminium cans or glass bottles in the UK are recycled. This is mostly done through local authority kerbside collections.
Cans and bottles are recyclable in an infinite number of ways (with glass sorting plants able to guarantee the material can be made into new bottles according to the Waste and Resources Action Programme), but glass waste from the past was used for building aggregate.
Scotland and Wales will include glass bottles in their deposit return programs, expected to launch next summer and next year, respectively. However, the UK government stated that this would not apply to the English or Northern Ireland versions. These will be dominated by plastic bottles.