The partnership aims to change the way wine is supplied to venues around the world, minimising the industry's impact on the environment
Banrock Station’s Pinot Grigio, Rosé and Pinot Noir wines will be offered in ecoTOTE 3.0W format to on-premise customers. (Credit: Accolade Wines)
Australia-based Accolade Wines and ecoSPIRITS, a circular economy technology company, have entered into a partnership to launch circular glass wine packaging technology.
The partnership, which forms part of Accolade’s broader global sustainability strategy ‘Making Every Drop Count’, aims to change the way wine is supplied to venues around the world, minimising the industry’s impact on the environment.
The process, led by Accolade’s eco-wine brand Banrock Station, will offer eco-friendly wine for customers. It also provides on-premise venues with cost advantage and carbon footprint reduction.
Under the closed-loop wine distribution pilot project, Australia’s first wine ecoPLANT will be established in central Sydney for easy access to sustainably-minded bars and restaurants.
Banrock Station along with Sydney-based on-premise venues will launch trials of the ecoSPIRITS’ circular wine packaging technology, known as the ecoTOTE, in the first half of this year.
To begin with, Banrock Station’s Pinot Grigio, Rosé and Pinot Noir wines will be offered in ecoTOTE 3.0W format to on-premise customers.
The wines will be delivered in fully reusable 4.5-litre glass container, instead of individual 750ml wine bottles to venues in ecoSPIRITS’ patent-pending ecoTOTE format where they will be served using ecoSPIRITS’ SmartPour technology. Once emptied, the bottles will be sent to ecoPLANT for sanitisation and refilling.
Both firms will study the lifecycle reduction in single waste and carbon footprint associated with the closed-loop distribution of bottles.
Accolade Wines managing director ANZ Andrew Clarke said: “We are thrilled to partner with ecoSPIRITS and bring this game-changing, world-first sustainable offering to the wine industry.
“We know that consumers are increasingly conscious of the impact their choices are having on the environment. The new Banrock Station ecoTOTE will provide that environmentally-friendly choice alongside a cost advantage. It’s a win-win for everyone.
“We look forward to seeing the roll-out of the Banrock Station ecoTOTE in venues around Sydney in the coming months, with the desire to extend nationally, and across other leading Accolade brands, in the future.”