Why reuse wine bottles?
If you are a regular, and thoughtful, wine drinker you realise that your habit will be causing the production, transport and disposal or reuse of tons of glass every year. Well maybe not tons, but lots.
This lens helps you look at how you might reduce the amount of energy and resources that are used in getting wine from the vineyard to your glass.
There are alternatives to using the standard 750ml bottle. In fact in many European countries a large percentage of wine is sold in refillable or reusable containers.
The quality of wine sold this way does not have to be low, although all super premium wines will be bottled using commercial methods. Refillable bottles are quite suitable for most if not all of the everyday wines that are nowadays sold in one way bottles.
So look around and consider the alternatives, and advantages of an eco-friendly way of getting your wine. By all means use traditional bottles sealled with cork or screw cap for wines intended for extended aging. But use a method with lower water use and a smaller carbon footprint for your everyday drinking.
Why do we use wine bottles?
Bottles are a very effective way of distributing and storing liquids like wine. We all know wine is spoilt if it is allowed to come into contact with air; it oxidises and turns to vinegar. Bottles allow us to use a small amount, usually 750ml, at a time without exposing all of our wine to the air.
But do we need to have a bottle especially made for every bottle we drink? Once all of the energy and materials have gone into making a bottle doesn't it make sense to use the bottle again?
The main reason that we use a new bottle every time we drink wine is convenience, but refillable bottles can be just as practicable. It just requires a little thought and planning.
Environmental reasons for using refillable wine bottles
- Environment Victoria - Zero Waste Campaign
- Environment Victoria is the peak non-government, not-for-profit environment organisation in Victoria.
- Environment Victoria - The 3Rs: Reduce, Re-use and Recycle your Waste
- Simple ways that you can reduce your waste to benefit our environment.
- We Are What We Do - Home - Change the World for Ten Bucks
- Inspiring people to use their everyday actions to change the world
- WFA Environment statement
- The Winemakers Federation of Australia's page about their environment policy. They have a Greenhouse gas calculator for winery operations.
- Bordeaux To Measure Wine's CO2 Footprint
- The Bordeaux Wine Board is launching a project to measure the GHG the region's industry is producing. The "Bilan Carbone" project will run for the next six months in association with the French Environment Agency, and the CIVB says the results will be released in
How to wash bottles
A simple routine
If you follow these simple steps you will always have a supply of clean bottles.1. Water is the best cleaner. Don't use detergents or other products, they may contaminate the wine.
2. As soon as the bottle is emptied, rinse it two or three times. Just pour in about half a cup of water and swirl vigorously for a few seconds. Drain and repeat.
3. If your bottle hasn't been rinsed immediately after use some sediment from the wine may have dried onto the interior surface. In most cases the bottle can be successfully cleaned by soaking in clean water. Again don't use detergents. A bottle brush is a good investment.
4. Store your clean bottles open until you are ready to refill them.
5. When you are ready to refill some bottles give them another rinse.
Remember wine is a natural preservative, and most wines will have some preservatives added. A simple rinsing regime like this one is all you need to do.
Watch this video demonstration
How can I get started?
Order a start up kit online
Rewine is a company which sells wine in refillable bottles. You can order some wine online and it will be delivered by the special wine service of AustraliaPost. They can sell you a refill pack (see right)for your wine, and a special funnel to help with the refilling.They have just released two organic wines, a Chardonnay and a Shiraz, they are getting great feedback from their customers.
Is the wine good value? There are savings on packaging costs and these are passed on to the consumer. But most importantly Rewine base their marketing on repeat business. They can't use that business model unless their customers are kept happy. The best way to do that is to sell them good wine at good prices.
See Rewine to find out more.
Bottles and Bulk wines available at Rewine
Order these wines online for delivery in Australia
Note The prices show the price of a single bottle on the basis of buying in lots of twelve, you can mix and match but they are only shipped in boxes of 12. The bottles are refillable, see the merlot bottle at the top left of this page.
The 4.5 litre bulk packs can be used to refill 6 standard bottles. The bulk packs are shipped in boxes of two, again you can mix and match. You can see that you can save about $20.00 per dozen by refilling your own, and you will make savings on the freight as well.
Get started by buying a mixed dozen bottles, you can then refill with your favourite.
White wines
- Spatlese Lexia $5.86 per 750 ml bottle, $25.16 per 4.5 litre bulk pack
- Marsanne $5.85, $25.16
- Semillon Sauvignon Blanc $9.24 $45.42
- Chardonnay $6.70, $30.22
- Organic Chardonnay $9.79, $48.75
Red wines
- Lambrusco $4.89, $19.37
- Shiraz-Cabernet-Merlot $5.14, $20.82
- Merlot $5.86, $25.16
- Cabernet Sauvignon $10.80, $50.49
- Gamay $8.88, $43.25
- Organic Shiraz $9.79, $48.75
- Durif $10.20, $51.51
Reader Feedback
Let us know about any other ideas or websites which readers of this page may be interested in.
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Pierce_This_2
Great lens, important suggestions. How to measure a belly button ring Posted September 25, 2007 |
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SemperFidelis
Nicely done. A 5 to you. If you have a minute stop by and visit my lenses, perhaps my Recycling lens. It is my favorite! Keep up the good work and kindest regards to you. Posted September 16, 2007 |
Refillable bottles in the news
- Bulk imports could beat wine bottle waste
- News article says importing wine to Britain in bulk and using lighter bottles would save money and help the environment
- Reduce, Reuse, Refill!--Links
- GrassRoots Recycling Network has a page of links as part of a campaign to get more refilling in the US.
- Lucy Siegle: Is wine greener from a box or a bottle?
- The UK imports large quantities of wine each year, as there is no local wine industry the bottles end as waste and this is causing some concern among environmental groups.
- Tesco to ship wine by water the route to all good wine
- Decanter reports that UK supemearket chain plans to use barges to reduce the carbon impact of the wine habits of Britons. Why not use refillable bottles?
- Conference on Climate change and wine
- To be held in Barcolona 15 and 16 February. Hope they mention the carbon footprint of one-use wine bottles.
Footnote: Wine Bottle Sizes
According to Wikipedia the following are the accepted names for different bottle sizes
* Split: 0.187 L
* Half-bottle: 0.375 L
* Standard: 0.75 L[5]
* Magnum: 1.5 L
* Double Magnum: 3 L
* Jeroboam: 4.5 L[6]
* Rheoboam: 4.5 L
* Box: 5 L
* Imperial: 6 L
* Salmanazar: 9 L
* Balthazar: 12 L
* Nebuchadnezzar: 15 L
* Melchior 18 L
* Murgatroyd 50 L
Australian wine news
...from Vinodiversity
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Innovative ways to distribute wine
- Wine packaging goes green - 26/07/2007
- Palandri Wines' Gordon Grant comments on soft packs for the European market.
