Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/230154
Wine packaging products are being made from corn and sugar cane. Photo: Thinkstock Plant-Based Wine Packaging Biodegradable products offer eco-friendly alternatives BY DANIELLE here's growing concern about wine's environmental footprint, from the water used in the vineyard to the many packaging elements that have gone into the bottle by the time it reaches retail shelves. Recognizing the need for environmentally friendly packaging products is one thing; investing the time and resources in developing new products that will work as well, or better, as existing options, is quite another. With this in mind, innovative companies are going right to the green source, developing plant-based packaging solutions 122 V I N EYA R D & WINE RY M ANAGEM ENT | BEURTEAUX with the goal of improving the wine industry's green quotient. PLANTING THE SEEDS FOR PACKAGING Nomacorc, based in Zebulon, N.C., sells 2.5 billion synthetic wine closures each year. The company spent two years working on the technology to create a low- to no-carbon footprint closure made from plant materials that will work as well as Nomacorc's existing products, with the goal of producing an environmentally sustainable, marketviable closure made from natural materials that will be available in the long term. Jan - Feb 2014 AT A GLANCE + Concerns about wine's environmental footprint have led to packaging innovations. + Wine producers are looking for earth-friendly products for branding and sustainability. + There are new plant-based packaging products coming onto the market that are biodegradable, compostable and recyclable. + New products will cost more than their traditional counterpoints, but costs can be offset by consumer good will. w w w. v wm m e d i a . c o m