Banrock Station’s vision is to become the world’s most recognised eco-friendly wine brand by offering an accessible and affordable wine option for the growing number of consumers looking to make more sustainable product purchases.
Packaged at ‘The Park’, the 75cl bottles are made from 100% recycled PET polymer, pre-existing material not single-use plastic. It takes 75% less energy to make a plastic bottle from recycled material compared with using virgin material [1] and CO2 emissions of recycled PET were found to be 79% lower than for virgin PET [2]. The bottles are also 100% recyclable and certified carbon neutral [3].
Weighing just 63g when empty, the Banrock Station bottles are 87% lighter than the average UK glass wine bottle, resulting in significant CO2 savings across the supply chain. The flat design is approximately 40% spatially smaller than the average glass wine bottle [4], whilst still containing 75cl of wine, and contributes to packaging efficiencies, with up to 91% more wine fitting on pallets [5], further reducing CO2 emissions.
Lindsay Holas, Brand Manager at Accolade Wines, said: “We pride ourselves on our environmental ethos and our aim is to galvanise consumers to ‘do good’ for themselves and our planet, as well as supporting retailers to meet the demand for green products. We know that 62% of customers say they want to buy from sustainable brands [6] and 37% of global consumers are influenced by ethical credentials when purchasing alcohol [7].
“The move to using these flat wine bottles is a big step in Accolade Wines’ environmental journey as we manage our business in a responsible manner from vineyard to the consumer. This will also allow Banrock Station and retailers to target younger consumers, who on the whole are more aware and concerned for the future of the planet [8]. We’re pleased to collaborate with Garçon Wines and the Co-op to bring this exciting technology to market, benefitting both retailers and consumers.”
Ed Robinson, Wine Buyer at The Co-operative Group, said: “At the Co-op we are keen to work with supplier partners who embrace the latest sustainable initiatives and as such it is very exciting to be involved in this project with Banrock Station.”
Amelia Dales, Commercial Director at Garçon Wines, added: "As a start-up striving to help reduce the carbon footprint of wine, for the health of our planet and the future of our industry through eco-friendly, flat wine bottles, Garçon Wines are highly motivated to be working with Accolade Wines, the No.1 wine company in the UK and Ireland, and to support their continued, commendable activities towards being the UK’s most sustainable wine supplier. Accolade leads from the front with their approach to sustainability, and Banrock Station, a brand renowned for its commitment to protecting the environment, is a natural fit for our multi award-winning bottles.
“Following a number of successful Accolade brand launches in our bottles in the Nordics, and an increasing consumer awareness of the environmental footprint of the products they purchase, we are looking forward to Banrock Station making a UK supermarket debut in our flat, 100% recycled PET bottles, giving Co-op’s customers the opportunity to enjoy great wines in a new, engaging and sustainable format. This launch is a key milestone for our young company and an exciting stage of our multi-brand, -channel, and -country strategy."
Banrock Station’s Merlot is now available in the Co-op with RRP of £7.50, with a Chardonnay to follow later this year. Both will be widely available from January 2021. The launch will be supported with in-store POS and social media activity.
www.garconwines.com www.accoladewines.com www.banrockstation.com.au
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[1] WRAP, 2018
[2] Denkstatt- ALPLA, 2017
[3] Accolade Wines UK-packaged core branded portfolio certified carbon neutral by The Carbon Trust
[4] Based on comparison with average 6 bottle case for round glass bottles
[5] Based on 1056 flat, rPET bottles versus 552 round, glass bottles on a UK pallet
[6] Accenture, 2019
[7] Wine Intelligence, 2019
[8] Kantar World panel GFK Who Care Does September 2019
