SWR Action Area Update: Let’s talk about bottle weight

Reducing wine bottle weight is a no-brainer: The bottle makes up almost half of wine’s total carbon footprint, and it’s an opportunity for the sector to demonstrate real change in its environmental impact and carbon reduction.

Last autumn the SWR developed the Bottle Weight Accord (BWA) in which signatories around the world committed to reduce their average still wine bottle weight to below 420g by the end of 2026. At the time of launch, the BWA had 13 participants, primarily consisting of retailers. Now, around nine months later, the number of participants has grown to 19, with numerous producers in the mix.

In this short podcast Toby Webb, founder and executive director of the SWR, and director of research and standards Dr Peter Stanbury, provide a brief update on the Accord and the progress made so far. They reflect on the easy wins, the biggest challenges, the plans for sparkling wine, and more.

You can read more about the Accord and how to get involved here.