To understand how glass stacks up when it comes to consumer preferences for packaging wine, the Glass Packaging Institute had a third-party take a look at consumer wine purchases and preferences. This included attitudes about organic wine and packaging for organic products in general.

“While we expected a preference for glass-bottled wine, we were still surprised by the strong and persistent partiality for glass,” says Joseph Cattaneo, president of the Glass Packaging Institute. “Glass protects wine, keeping it smelling and tasting as the vintner intended.”

According to the University of Oklahoma survey, more than 98% of consumers prefer to drink wine served out of glass bottles, with that number reaching nearly 100% for younger wine drinkers, ages 21-to-35. Wine has also emerged as a recognized part of everyday life. Nearly 80 percent of wine consumers say drinking wine is part of a healthy lifestyle.

“Consumers overwhelmingly agree that wine tastes best—and is the most pure—when packaged in glass bottles,” says Cattaneo. Since glass has an almost zero rate of chemical interaction, the product inside a glass bottle keeps its strength, aroma, and flavor. More

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Atlanta Restaurants Recycle Glass to Help Achieve Zero Waste

The City of Atlanta has created a “zero waste zone” in its downtown district. The “Atlanta Recycles” program, in partnership with the Green Foodservice Alliance, U.S. EPA Region 4 and Georgia Department of Natural Resources launched the initiative in February of this year.

To date, more than a dozen participants and the Georgia World Congress Center have pledged to recycle. According to Holly Elmore, Green Foodservice alliance executive director, once the glass bottles and cardboard are recycled and food residuals composted, most restaurants and hotels come close to zero waste.

Ruth’s Chris Steak House at Centennial Olympic Park has already reduced its waste by nearly 40% recycling glass bottles and other commodities. After they compost their food, they’ll be up to 80% recovery. Read more

Fifth Group Restaurants, in Midtown Atlanta, operates five local restaurants and a catering business. Recycling glass bottles, cardboard, and food residuals is getting these restaurants well on the way to achieving zero waste. More

PACKAGING TRENDS

Skincare Company Switches to Glass and Reduces Packaging

According to UK’s Marketing Magazine, skincare company Spiezia Organics has redesigned its packaging, switching from plastic to recycled glass containers, in an effort to remain sustainable. By converting to glass, Spiezia Organics was able to reduce secondary packaging by 12%. More

European Consumers Want Milk and Juice Packaged in Glass

According to the European Glass Container Federation (FEVE), glass packaging could return to milk and fruit juices if brand owners respond to EU consumer demand. According to Dominique Tombeur, FEVE president, results of a survey of 6,200 consumers in 12 EU countries published in April show 40% of those surveyed would prefer to buy milk in glass, but only 5% said they were able to do so. Forty-five percent of respondents would also prefer glass for fruit juice compared to 14% who used it. More

LEGISLATION

Climate Change Legislation Passes House Energy & Commerce Committee

The House Committee on Energy and Commerce has voted in favor of H.R. 2454, legislation aimed at curbing greenhouse gas emissions. The most immediate goal of the bill is a 17% reduction in GHG emissions by 2020, with an overall 83% reduction by 2050. The legislation will provide approximately 15% of the total available allowances to the glass container and other energy intensive industries. If conditions in the bill are met, most of the allowances granted to industry could be phased out by 2025.

New York Container Deposit Expansion Law Delayed One Year

A Manhattan judge has issued a preliminary injunction halting the New York container deposit expansion law. U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Griesa also struck down a provision that would have required a New York state specific UPC for covered beverages, citing a violation of the commerce clause in the U.S. Constitution.  As part of the delay, retailers would not begin to collect a 5-cent deposit on water bottles until April, 2010. Several beverage industry companies and affiliated organizations had filed lawsuits against the state, stating the expansion was in violation of constitutional rights. The Governor’s office has not addressed how they plan to fill the expected $115 million shortfall from the unredeemed deposits fund.

GLASS RECYCLING

Houston Recycler Focuses on “Huge Need” for Glass Bottles

Mark Austin, founder of We Can Recycle set his sights on glass bottle recycling after prices for other recyclables tanked late last year thanks to the current global economy. Prices for glass recyclables remain stable, and Austin is finding business is brisk collecting 4-5 tons a week from 15 local bars and restaurants, and high-rise condos. According to Austin, “there’s just a huge need for recycled glass in this town.”

The nonprofit We CAN Recycle picks up glass bottles from local businesses three days a week and takes them to glass processor Strategic Materials, Inc. From there, most is sold to Longhorn Glass Corp. and manufactured into new bottles for Anheuser-Busch. Some of the glass also goes to an abrasives market. More

North Carolina Law Encourages “Green” Hotel Practices

In January 2008 when North Carolina’s state “ABC” law went into effect, the focus was primarily on bars and restaurants. The law requires Alcohol Beverage Control permit holders to recycle all their containers—glass, plastic, and aluminum. About 18% of beverages are consumed on premise, and glass makes up to about 80% of that mix.

But conventions centers and hotels have also had to respond to the law, and many have not just started recycling their glass bottles and other containers, but are initiating a variety of “green” practices.

Asheville’s Grove Park Inn Resort and Spa recycles over three tons a month of glass and other containers, and have added recycling to all 512 guest rooms. And at The Umstead Hotel and Spa in Cary, glass containers (about 40%) and cardboard make up the majority of their recyclables, and then food residuals are sent to a farm for composting, getting them close to zero waste. Read more

California Glass Recycling Rate Climbs Again in 2008

For calendar year 2008, glass beverage container recycling rose to 76%, up from 67% during the same period in 2007, according to a May California Department of Conservation report announcing recycling rates for beverage containers under the state’s redemption program.

All beverage containers recycled through the redemption program in 2008 reached a new high of 74%, an increase of seven percentage points over 2007. Read the full report

In related news, Encorp Pacific, Canada, the product stewardship corporation responsible for British Columbia's beverage container management, released its collection totals for 2008. Encorp recovered 1.06 billion beverage containers in 2008, for a 77.1% recovery rate. The rate was 76.1% in 2007. Of the specific materials, glass had the highest recovery rate in 2008, at 87.3%. Get the full report

1000 WORDS

Glass Bottle Declares, “I’ll Be Back”

“Hank the Singing Bottle” challenges California’s Governator and shows the world what glass bottles do best: get recycled over and over again. Watch the video

Copyright © 2009 Glass Packaging Institute 

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