WRAP Toasts Environmental Benefits of New Wine Import Facility
10 May 2007
WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) has welcomed the announcement that a new bonded warehouse is to be built in the UK – saying the facility could lead to a dramatic increase in the UK’s capacity to bulk import wine for domestic bottling.
Constellation Europe, one of the largest drinks companies in Europe, is to create the innovative warehouse and accompanying bottling facility at Avonmouth near Bristol. The development, which will have the capacity to fill around 120 million bottles of wine every year, is expected to be operational by 2009.
WRAP is working to raise industry awareness of the advantages of bulk importing wine to the UK. Bulk importation can reduce shipping costs by up to 40 per cent, and benefit the environment by using less fuel for transporting full bottles. It also increases the opportunity to use lighter weight wine bottles, manufactured in the UK, and to create a more robust market for surplus domestic green glass.
WRAP’s Andy Dawe, said: “The new Constellation facility is very welcome news. The UK is the largest importer of wine in the world, with over one billion litres imported from Europe and the New World. Around 80 per cent of this volume arrives already bottled.
“The Constellation facility has the potential to stimulate more bulk shipments of wine, for bottling in the UK. This can unlock many environmental and business advantages, including reduced transport costs and CO2 emissions, and a more vibrant domestic market for recycled green glass.”
He continued: “The facility could also open the door to more widespread UK manufacture of lighter weight wine bottles, which are far more resource efficient.”
Combined with the opening of glass manufacturer Quinn Glass’ bottling facility and bottle manufacturing plant in 2006, this latest announcement signals a significant change in the way the supply chain is approaching the British wine market. Quinn’s plant, which is at Elton, Cheshire, has the capacity to produce 1.2 billion bottles per year.
WRAP is spearheading a new industry-wide initiative called GlassRite Wine, designed to increase bulk wine imports, and the associated manufacture of lightweight wine bottles.
The project, which launched in September 2006, is investigating the economic, technical and quality issues associated with bulk importing and lightweight wine bottles.
Mr Dawe, added: “GlassRite Wine aims to alert companies involved in the wine trade to the advantages of bulk imports and lighter bottles. As retailers and manufacturers come under increasing pressure to reduce waste and their carbon footprint, this approach makes sound environmental and economic sense.”
Jennifer Bond, independent wine consultant, said: “UK bottling does make a lot of sense, especially when you couple the potential quality benefits with the cost benefits. In such a competitive market, bottle to bottle consistency and taste are crucial to ensuring customers come back for more.
“Shipping in bottle over long distances and prolonged periods with often significant variations in temperature, can make this hard to achieve, but by packaging at destination using modern equipment, you will get better consistency, and can even improve the shelf life.”
Constellation Europe, one of the largest drinks companies in Europe, is to create the innovative warehouse and accompanying bottling facility at Avonmouth near Bristol. The development, which will have the capacity to fill around 120 million bottles of wine every year, is expected to be operational by 2009.
WRAP is working to raise industry awareness of the advantages of bulk importing wine to the UK. Bulk importation can reduce shipping costs by up to 40 per cent, and benefit the environment by using less fuel for transporting full bottles. It also increases the opportunity to use lighter weight wine bottles, manufactured in the UK, and to create a more robust market for surplus domestic green glass.
WRAP’s Andy Dawe, said: “The new Constellation facility is very welcome news. The UK is the largest importer of wine in the world, with over one billion litres imported from Europe and the New World. Around 80 per cent of this volume arrives already bottled.
“The Constellation facility has the potential to stimulate more bulk shipments of wine, for bottling in the UK. This can unlock many environmental and business advantages, including reduced transport costs and CO2 emissions, and a more vibrant domestic market for recycled green glass.”
He continued: “The facility could also open the door to more widespread UK manufacture of lighter weight wine bottles, which are far more resource efficient.”
Combined with the opening of glass manufacturer Quinn Glass’ bottling facility and bottle manufacturing plant in 2006, this latest announcement signals a significant change in the way the supply chain is approaching the British wine market. Quinn’s plant, which is at Elton, Cheshire, has the capacity to produce 1.2 billion bottles per year.
WRAP is spearheading a new industry-wide initiative called GlassRite Wine, designed to increase bulk wine imports, and the associated manufacture of lightweight wine bottles.
The project, which launched in September 2006, is investigating the economic, technical and quality issues associated with bulk importing and lightweight wine bottles.
Mr Dawe, added: “GlassRite Wine aims to alert companies involved in the wine trade to the advantages of bulk imports and lighter bottles. As retailers and manufacturers come under increasing pressure to reduce waste and their carbon footprint, this approach makes sound environmental and economic sense.”
Jennifer Bond, independent wine consultant, said: “UK bottling does make a lot of sense, especially when you couple the potential quality benefits with the cost benefits. In such a competitive market, bottle to bottle consistency and taste are crucial to ensuring customers come back for more.
“Shipping in bottle over long distances and prolonged periods with often significant variations in temperature, can make this hard to achieve, but by packaging at destination using modern equipment, you will get better consistency, and can even improve the shelf life.”
Editor's notes:
- WRAP works in partnership to encourage and enable businesses and consumers to be more efficient in their use of materials and recycle more things more often. This helps to minimise landfill, reduce carbon emissions and improve our environment.
- Established as a not-for-profit company in 2000, WRAP is backed by substantial Government funding from Defra and the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- Working in seven key areas (Construction, Retail, Manufacturing, Organics, Business Growth, Behavioural Change, and Local Authority Support), WRAP’s work focuses on market development and support to drive forward recycling and materials resource efficiency within these sectors, as well as wider communications and awareness activities including the multi-media national Recycle Now campaign for England.
- More information on all of WRAP’s programmes can be found at www.wrap.org.uk
Richard Truman or Michael Bennett
Pelican Public Relations Ltd
Tel: 01457 820807
Fax: 01457 820824
rt@pelicanpr.co.uk
Press Office
Senior Press Officer
WRAP
Tel: 01295 819695
press.office@wrap.org.uk
