Sales of box wines growing significantly, says A.C. Nielsen
By David Bellm -- Packaging Digest, 8/7/2008 4:10:00 PM
Box wines continue to gain ground against bottles, with statistics pointing to strong gains in sales last year. Experts say that the stigma associated with the category is steadily fading, even among somewhat premium wines.
According to U.S. newspaper The Record, box wines are only about 1 percent of overall wine sales, but the paper notes that A.C. Nielsen observed a 41 percent growth in sales for the category in the last year.
Attitudes toward box wines are clearly changing, as the category branches out to include a new group of wines called, “premium bag-in-box,” some of which sell for over $20.00.
While the gains are largely on account of rising quality, the basic bag-in-box package has a number of significant advantages over bottles. For one thing, you can’t really break a box of wine. This makes the bag-in-box format a winner over bottles any time a wine is expected to be served in a potentially harsh environment, such as hiking, picnics, or at the beach.
A bag-in-box wine will also keep longer. The wine isn’t exposed to air as much as it would be with an uncorked bottle.
Perhaps most important are the environmental advantages that box wines offer. According to The Record, Wine Group of San Francisco says boxes reduce landfill waste by 85 percent and lower carbon emissions by 55 percent compared to bottles. And the lighter weight boxes require less fuel to ship.
All those things said, it’s going to be hard for box wines to mimic a glass wine bottle’s “clink,” or the feel of its neck when pouring from it – subtle but important elements of the wine experience for many.
Photo by Marcus Buster; Copyright creative commons with attribution
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PET recycling collection has risen significantly in Europe, says industry association
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While I won't contest the recyclable nature of traditional glass and cork packaging, Joe C. is wrong about the composition of the box manufactured for bag-in-boxes or wine casks. The box for a wine cask is standard cardboard with a printed exterior glued to the outside. It is no different than the printed shipper carton used to ship wine in glass bottles, and like that carton, 100% recyclable. In fact, it too can be manufactured from recycled paper. The bag and tap in wine casks are also recyclable in many states - more every day. In all, the amount saved in the manufacturing, the weight and space savings in energy used to transport the materials to the winery and the finished wine to customers, and its recyclable nature do make the bag-in-box greener than glass. Joe C. was referring to aseptic containers such as TetraPak, which has no bag inside. It is important to note that only bag-in-box wine casks remain sealed after opening via the tap, keeping the wine inside fresh for weeks, which may reduce waste associated with old, oxidized wine. Wine casks are popular throughout the world, especially in Europe and Australia. The bag inside is completely neutral, and does not impart any flavor whatsoever. The bag-in-box was created over 50 years ago by the Scholle Corporation, and is proven, tested technology. Oh, and you don't need a corkscrew ... which also uses energy to manufacture and distribute. ;-)
Paul Tincknell - 2008-14-8 16:22:00 EDT -
Glass is the pure and sustainable packaging choice for wine now and
well into the future. Glass is inert, which is why it has been the
discerning consumer’s choice for wine packaging for several hundred
years. The recycled content of many of today’s wine bottles in Europe
is as high as 95% and the average in the wine sector we believe to be
over 70%.
Wine casks or “cardboard cartons,” on the other hand, are not
cardboard but rather six layers of paperboard, polyethylene, and
aluminum. Technically, such cartons are “downcyclable”; however,
separating these layers is so difficult only 4% of the packaging is
actually reused.
The locations of “cardboard carton” facilities that are repurposing
/"hydropulping" such containers also remains a mystery. If people are
attempting to recycle such containers, but the material has to be
shipped hundreds of miles to a facility, the energy used in transporting
such material creates a greater carbon footprint. Also, such packages
are made from all virgin materials and no recycled content, which also
increases the material’s carbon footprint.
Glass is not made up of several different materials. It is therefore 100%
recyclable. Recycling glass also lessens the material’s environmental
impact. Using cullet (or recycled glass) allows the glass container
industry to reduce energy input to its furnaces. Energy costs drop
about 2-3% for every 10% cullet used in the manufacturing process.
Only a glass bottle can ensure the flavor, color, and aroma of wine.
Vintners who introduce and market their wines in “cardboard cartons”
are doing a disservice to the environment and are overlooking the
essence of wine – premium image and taste.
Joe C. - 2008-12-8 14:14:00 EDT
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