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Not all event-safe bottles are CREATED EQUAL . Know the difference
Thankfully , we now exist in a time where events are taking sustainability seriously . However , whilst many event-safe options claim to be environmentallyfriendly - how well informed are you about the packaging that contains your drinks ?
Event Wine Solutions understands how much research and development work goes into selecting the right vessel for their product – wine that can be enjoyed safely and sustainably in a field !
After working with independent sustainability consultants Rubbish Ideas , headed up by Connor Bryant and Jack Schneider ( www . rubbish-ideas . com ), Event Wine Solutions commissioned a full carbon comparison study of different vessel options which flagged up many issues surrounding the choices available to them .
The results of their study concluded that a 100 % recycled rPET , mono-layer , clear plastic bottle was the lowest embodied * carbon option with a comparatively low lifecycle ** carbon footprint for their range of wines . Although sourcing the right bottle supplier proved challenging , it was an aim worth striving for . Event Wine Solutions achieved in early 2020 , using the down-time during the pandemic to refine the packaging and ensure it was perfect for a tentative launch in 2021 .
Other options on the market which were not deemed sustainable for their wine included :
* manufacture to delivery , ** entire cradle-to-cradle lifecycle
• Partly recycled and partly virgin plastic bottles which were clearly not as desirable as 100 % recycled rPET as they rely partly on virgin material
Cookstove Project – one of Event Wine
Solutions ’ carbon offset projects
• A multi-layered bottle which , although adds shelflife , proves difficult if not impossible to recycle again after use
• Coloured plastic bottles which carry the same issue as above .
Advising on the recyclability of the bottles , the team at Event Wine Solutions visited the Grist Environmental ‘ zeroto-landfill ’ recycling plant in Wiltshire where they found out exactly what happens to the wine bottles once they leave a festival site . They discovered that multi-layered plastic contains a layer of nylon or EVOH ( Ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer ) which , although theoretically recyclable , is in reality unrecyclable in normal recycling systems . Coloured plastic is also more difficult to recycle , and therefore less valuable within the recycling stream , meaning it ’ s less likely to be turned into a new product .
Whilst aluminium cans present a viable alternative to Event Wine Solutions ’ 100 % recycled rPET vessel , the high embodied carbon of the material along with controversies surrounding bauxite mining which takes place underneath rainforests meant that until virgin material no longer needs to be sourced ( currently , demand outstrips the available amount of recycled material available ), this wasn ’ t the best choice . Event Wine Solutions has always believed that eventgoers prefer to enjoy a traditional format bottle of wine that can be shared among friends , and in the challenging economic climate it also proves to be a good-value way to enjoy an alcoholic beverage at events . Finally , whilst many aluminium cans claim to be a plastic-free option for events , some in fact contain a PET plastic liner which can complicate the recycling process and negate any perceived preference to cans .
Going further , Event Wine Solutions also offsets the carbon emissions of all its packaging with Gold Standard projects ranging from a cookstove project in Malawi and a geothermal project in El Salvador , among many others . The cookstove project involves distributing energy-efficient cookstoves around Malawi where many households still rely on open fires to cook and purify water . The project aims to lessen the natural energy requirements of as many communities as possible through the efficiency of the design . It is one of the most costeffective ways of improving the lifestyle and sustainable development of the many communities in the region as possible . The Geothermal Project ’ s primary objective
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