Waitrose & Partners has announced that from 15 January the majority of its small wine formats will be moved from glass bottles to aluminium cans.

Last year, Waitrose customers purchased nearly three million small bottles of wine across both still and sparkling categories. In a statement, Waitrose claimed that moving from small wine bottles to aluminium cans will save over 300 tonnes of glass packaging. Food Bottle

Waitrose To Replace Majority Of Small Wine Bottles With Aluminium Cans | ESM Magazine

Due to appellation restrictions, Champagne, Prosecco and Cava, and Rioja, will not be part of this initiative.

“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," said bulk sourcing manager for beer, wine and spirits at Waitrose, Barry Dick MW.

"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," he added.

Last June, wine experts at Waitrose & Partners predicted that the English wine industry will reach new heights in the coming five to ten years.

Speaking at the time, sparkling wine buyer at Waitrose, Alexandra Mawson said, "While still a relatively young industry compared to the rest of the world, the winemaking passion and expertise in this country is proving itself to be deserving of the world stage time and time again."

"We’re seeing the culmination of the hard work of our viticulturists and winemakers paying off in customer recognition and this, coupled with the expansion of vineyards, makes it an incredibly exciting time for English wine," he concluded.

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