Waitrose to sell wine in cans

Waitrose shoppers will soon be drinking wine from aluminium cans instead of glass bottles after the supermarket became the first to replace the majority of small glass wine bottles with cans in a bid to reduce its carbon footprint.

The move, expected to save 320 tonnes of packaging, also aims to appeal to already environmentally-conscious customers, many of whom already enjoy canned alcoholic cocktails.

From Sunday, the majority of 187ml glass bottles will be replaced by aluminium cans. The only bottles that will not be affected are Champagne, Prosecco, Cava and Rioja because of legal appellation restrictions.

Last year, Waitrose customers purchased nearly three million small bottles of wine across the still and sparkling categories.

Barry Dick, the Waitrose beer, wine and spirit bulk sourcing manager, said: “We’re delighted to pioneer this move and make reducing waste even easier for our customers.

“Aluminium cans weigh significantly less than glass and create less than half the amount of CO2 than the equivalent single-use glass bottle. Cans can also be recycled an infinite number of times.  

“We know that more people are buying their drinks in canned formats, from cocktails on the go to craft beer, which is why making this shift in our wine category makes so much sense.  

“Picking up a can of wine is a great way to enjoy wine in moderation, especially if you’re heading to a picnic or a social occasion, and it also enables customers to try a new variety without worrying about wastage or cost.”

He said he hoped the Waitrose move “will encourage suppliers to continue to develop a diverse and exciting range of wines in cans”.

Mini bottles of wine, Prosecco and pre-mixed alcoholic drinks have become increasingly popular in recent years, with customers becoming more health-conscious about the number of alcoholic units they drink. Their lower cost and smaller size for those drinking outside the home are also appealing to consumers.

According to an article published in Vineyard Magazine in September, lockdown also contributed to a steady rise in the popularity of wine in cans.

Experts predict this market will continue to grow from its current global value of £158.4 million to £428.4 million by 2028. In the UK, sales soared from £2.5 million in 2018 to £10.7 million in 2020.

A spokesman for Waitrose, which is a John Lewis-owned store, confirmed that it would still continue to sell half bottles of wine and currently has six canned wines for sale. It will be adding another 14 by April.

The new canned range will include Most Wanted Sauvignon Blanc, Terre di Faiano Primitivo, JP Chenet Pinot Noir, Hardy’s Shiraz, Bijou Horizon Grenache Rose and IGO Organic Wine.

Libby Peake, a senior policy adviser at Green Alliance, said: “Liquids, particularly when stored in heavy containers, often result in very high carbon emissions if they’re transported long distances – as is so often the case with wine in the UK – so it makes some sense for supermarkets to switch to lighter packaging that can be easily recycled.”

Adam Herriott, a sector specialist in resource management at the Waste and Resources Action Programme, said: “Both glass and aluminium are very successful formats from a recycling perspective, with roughly the same percentage of each recycled in the UK each year.

“Where aluminium has the edge is in its lighter weight, which helps reduce the carbon associated with transporting cans and bottles.”

The move also comes after wine and spirits businesses called on the Government to intervene as bills for mandatory glass recycling rose so high that they wiped outsome companies’ profits.

Companies that use glass bottles must legally buy “packaging waste recycling notes” as part of a system ensuring businesses that use packaging also fund recycling.