With the UK being the world’s biggest wine importer (over 1.6 billion litres a year) it makes sense to stop the importing of individual bottles into the country in an effort to cut waste (we’re importing 630,000 tonnes of packaging along with the wine).  Instead, if wine is imported in bulk and then bottled in the UK in lighter weight bottles made out of recycled UK glass, we have the opportunity to reduce the weight of what’s being transported (fewer carbon emissions and monetary savings), as well as using locally recycled glass (closing the loop).

The good news is that WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) have had tremendous success with this project, and have kept over 20,000 tonnes - equivalent to over 3,600 African elephants - of glass out of the UK by filling over 115 million recycled local glass bottles right here.  This delivers both environmental and commercial benefits. [source: WRAP]

You can help close the recycling loop by buying recycled glass products too.

Photo credit: TheLizardQueen