SWR Member Spotlight: North South Wines builds on B Corp momentum
In 2023, North South Wines (NSW) became the first UK wine distributor to achieve B Corp accreditation. Since then, the company has made significant progress in environmental stewardship, social impact, and wider industry and community engagement. These efforts are detailed in the recently published 2025 Impact Report, which highlights progress to date and key priorities moving forward.
Major milestones include the completion of NSW’s first full carbon footprint report assessment covering Scopes 1 to 3, as well as the creation of a decarbonisation strategy aimed at a 25% reduction in emissions intensity by 2030. Product packaging accounts for over half of NSW’s footprint and bottle light weighting continues to remain a major focus for the company. In 2024, the average bottle weight of still wines sold by NSW dropped by nearly 5% year-on-year to 478g. The goal is to reach an average weight of 420g or less by 2026, in line with the SWR’s Bottle Weight Accord.
Alongside light weighting, NSW is committed to increasing the use of recycled content across its packaging. The goal is to ensure that 80% of all bottles and cases sold include over 50% recycled materials. The company is well on track to hit this target, with 70% of bottles and 75% of cases sold in 2024 already meeting the benchmark.
Collaboration, community, and culture have always been core values for NSW. Following certification, the company focused on maximising its positive impact both internally and externally. Key initiatives include employee carbon literacy programmes and volunteering days, as well as a charity partnership with Restore Oxfordshire and active participation in industry webinars and events.
“This is our third Impact Report since becoming a B Corp in 2023 and it’s incredible to step back and see the progress we’ve made. Our values are deeply rooted in who we are as a business and demonstrate our commitment to using business as a force for good. Over the past 12 months, this has meant completing our first carbon footprint report, developing our JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion) strategy, and raising over £14,000 for our charity partner Restore. Despite a challenging market, putting people and planet before profit continues to help us stand out and attract customers who value purpose and transparency. We now set our sights on the year ahead and recertification in 2027 with the new B Corp standards,” shares Kim Wilson, founder of NSW.
Read the full Impact Report here.
