The Waste & Resources Action Programme, or WRAP, has today announced hat its GlassRite Wine Project has saved 20,000 tonnes of glass or in its words, "over 3,600 African elephants". The project, which commenced in 2006, has worked with the whole value chain in the wine industry to increase the bulk importation of wine by over 90 million litres or, again in its words, "36 Olympic size swimming pools".
The UK is the world’s largest importer of wine, buying in some 1.6 billion bottles every year which results in 630,000 tonnes of glass entering the UK.
Through the project, WRAP has sought to reduce this impact of carbon emissions from wine importation by encouraging the use of lighter-weight wine bottles and the bulk importation of wine to the UK.
The project, WRAP argues, is also driving broader commercial benefits, with companies throughout the supply chain reporting cost and raw material savings. A wide range of organisations are already taking part, including major names such as Constellation Europe, Kingsland Wine & Spirits, Pernod Ricard, Quinn Glass and Tesco. WRAP is also working with trade associations, from The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) and Wines of Spain to Wines of South Africa, to explore all relevant technical, economic and social considerations and overcome any barriers which may exist.
For more information on WRAP and this project go to www.wrap.org.uk/wine
