Just what we don't need - more plastic
The article below highlights the imapct of the war in Ukrane on multiple industries around the globe, forcing change where it’s not wanted or needed. But for some it appears to be more about economies of scale to immediately swap to single use plastic bottles - even if it is just the tiny bottles - than instigate a recycling program for glass.
Written by Charlie Hancock and published on July 29 in Bloomberg - llink at the end below - Hancock explains how the impact of war has forced change in the alcohol business.
Surely it’s time to ban plastic bottles from the alcohol sector and just stick with something that has far less impact on the environment? May be if consumers stopped buying single use plastics then the industry might change. Wishful thinking.
C.
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UK Wine Merchant Switches to Plastic as Ukraine Glassworks Close
War has shuttered furnaces and disrupted supply chains and England’s Lanchester Wines swaps out glass in smaller bottles. Wine drinkers in parts of Britain may have noticed something different recently: more plastic miniature bottles. And they’re linked to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Lanchester Wines, an importer and wholesaler based in northeast England, last month swapped out single-serve glass bottles for plastic after the war more than a thousand miles away shut several melting facilities, leading to a shortage in production.
“The loss of three major furnaces has severely reduced the availability of glass bottles across Europe,” said Mark Roberts, sales director for the company.
It’s just one example of the knock-on effects of the conflict on distribution networks throughout the region. Ukraine’s exports of everything from grains to industrial goods have plummeted, contributing to shortages and soaring costs.
Read: Ukraine Is Rebuilding Under Fire to Escape Putin’s Trap
“Bottle suppliers to UK wine producers have been advising wineries to plan as far ahead as possible for all packaging and material orders,” said Simon Thorpe, chief executive officer of Wines of Great Britain, or WineGB.
The industry group for grape growers and winemakers doesn’t expect supply to return to normal levels until 2023 or 2024, as the war and increased demand related to recovery from the pandemic put pressure on the production of glass bottles.
Smaller Bottles
Furnaces outside of Ukraine have prioritized the production of larger bottles, which are more energy efficient to make, meaning fewer glass miniatures are available.
The single-serve versions hold 187 milliliters, or just over a standard glass of wine. They’re the second-most popular type of wine bottle served in the UK, often sold on trains and airplanes as well as at supermarkets. Plastic is already used for bottles where glass isn’t permitted for safety reasons.
Lanchester Wines -- a supplier to pubs, hotels and other retailers -- works with its sister company, Greencroft Bottling, to determine how products should be bottled. The single-serve bottles comprise about 15-18% of the importer’s business. Lanchester Wines plans to distribute the plastic miniatures until at least the end of the year.
The switch occurred too recently to gauge the impact on business, according to the company. The wine merchant said it tries to use recycled, lightweight material where possible to limit the creation of new plastic.
Link to original piece here: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-07-29/uk-wine-merchant-switches-to-plastic-as-ukraine-glassworks-close?utm_source=AfternoonBrief&utm_medium=newsletter