Raise A Glass To Save The Planet

Green glass is the most common type used to hold wine

But you might not be aware that at present there is very little demand in the UK for recycled green glass - the most common type of glass used to hold wine.

In fact, the UK net imports around 600,000 tonnes of the stuff, which unless used ends up in landfills.

The QuinnGlass plant in Cheshire offers an alternative.

As part of the Waste and Resources Action Plan (WRAP) inititative they receive wine not in bottles placed in cases but in huge plastic pouches carried in cargo containers, which are then used to fill bottles in the UK.

This means that three times as much wine can be transported for the same level of CO2 - a huge benefit to the environment.

And when you hear that the bottles themselves are made on-site from 88% recycled glass, the benefits are obvious.

WRAP estimate that 11,000 tonnes of glass have been diverted from the waste stream and hope to increase that to 30,000 tonnes.

Significantly lighter bottles can also be fashioned here, translating into a further carbon saving.

The scheme does not apply to wines which would benefit from aging in bottle.

But with 80% of bottles sold in the UK costing £5 or less and over 90% of the UK retail sector committed through the Courthald Commitment to reducing packaging waste there are plenty of opportunities for major players in the wine world.

Something to raise a glass to?