This Earth Day Celebrate Wine Packaging That Benefits The Earth

This earth day has been a source of many news stories and official earth-friendly releases. None more important, perhaps, than the announcement of the Alternative Packaging Alliance (APA) which officially launches today on Earth Day 2024. With founding members Juliet , Ami Ami , Really Good Boxed Wine , Giovese Family Wines , Nomadica , Communal Brands and Tablas Creek , the alliance already has legs—these brands have all been pushing the boundaries of alternative packaging for wine individually, so just think the potential of all these heavyweights working together to educate the wine drinking populous.

" There has been an unprecedented surge in demand for high-end wines in eco-friendly packaging, driven by modern consumers who increasingly shop with the planet in mind ", shares Allison Luvera, Founding Member of the APA and Co-Founder of luxury boxed wine brand Juliet. " Amid this sea change, we've recognized the need for more education, advocacy, and resources to support the burgeoning expansion of the category. With a collaborative spirit, we hope to lead industry-wide change with a positive environmental impact. "

The alliance will collectively work together to educate both industry leaders and consumers about the environmental benefits of boxed wine, while also demonstrating that packaging wine in a box does not compromise on taste or quality. The Alliance will introduce various targeted initiatives, including an open letter to stakeholders, industry event tastings, partnerships with key players, and publicly accessible resources such as educational materials on glass bottle environmental impacts. You'll want to keep your eye on the movements of the alliance as alternative packaging heats up, because there are truly the pioneers in the space.

Why is this so important? Boxed wine has gotten a bad rap for decades with many consumers writing it off as a cheap, low-quality option. The pandemic introduced a new wave of high-quality boxed wine brands and sales of 3-liter boxed wine grew 30% between 2018 and 2023, (Source: Circana), a time when we saw overall wine sales were down more than 10%. The growth of the category is directly fueled by the environmental advantages of boxed wine, which notably reduces the carbon footprint by 84% compared to glass bottles, which sadly contribute significantly to CO2 emissions and landfill waste.

The APA shares a mission to accelerate adoption of alternatives to single-use glass packaging for the sake of the planet. It is widely known in the industry that glass bottles and their transport are the largest contributor to wine's carbon footprint and have a low recyclability rate that leads to unnecessary waste. Environmentally responsible packaging alternatives exist that reduce impact immediately but require broader acceptance by trade and consumers.

To learn more visit altpack.org