Do Your Part, How to Be and Live Green in Charlotte, NC

Do Your Part when picking wine!

Many people savor the thought of a great glass of wine in the evening. But, have you given much thought to how wine is packaged and what’s best for the environment? A bottle of wine is obviously the classic choice. Then, there’s the big box of wine that’s been around for a several years now. And now, wine can come in tetra paks that look like bigger versions of a juice box. However, the answer about which one to pick isn’t as simple as it seems!

Let’s begin with the bottle. Glass is 100% recyclable and can be made into new glass over and over again. Some wine bottles are made with recycled glass but not all! These bottles are easy to recycle – just toss them into your recycling bin. But, bottled wine costs more and much of that is due to shipping. 20 billion bottles of wine are shipped by road and sea each year and because of their weight, it’s the most expensive packaging to ship.

Second choice: the traditional boxed wine. These are the big boxes that contain a plastic pouch inside with a plastic spout. They usually hold the amount contained in four glass bottles of wine but weigh more than two thirds less! The cardboard itself is recyclable. But, the plastic spout and the plastic bag are a different story.

Third choice: tetra paks. They are made with paper, plastic, and aluminum. The biggest benefit is the fact that they take less energy to make and ship. Their weight is roughly half of a traditional bottle. But, the biggest drawback is what to do with these cartons once the wine is gone. Studies show, they are usually just thrown in the garbage because recycling them is difficult and expensive.

So there is no clear winner when it comes to the different types of packaging. But you can reduce the amount of energy needed for transporting the wine when you support local wineries. We've included a link to a website with a listing of wineries in every state in the text version of this story.

Whatever choice you do make – recycle or reuse the packaging left behind. It’s just one way to do your part while enjoying your favorite glass of wine.

To Learn More Visit:
All American Wineries
Wine Plastic Versus Glass Bottles