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* FoodBev recently published an article called 'Arniston Bay wine launched in 1 litre Tetra Pak', which outlined the South African wine producer's launch of the Arniston Bay Tetra Pak range. Mr David Workman of British Glass responded to the article (British Glass on packaging ‘green wash'), pointing out what he referred to as "inaccuracies". The article on this page is a response to Mr Workman's comments from The Company of Wine People.*

In the absence of a suitable 'comments' system for each article, which we intend to address in the new year, and for your convenience, we have published both of the above articles here, as well as Mr Barney Davis' response. If any further correspondence is forthcoming regarding this debate, we will add it to this page, so please do bookmark it if you'd like to keep up to date. Shaun Weston, Editor.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE, 17 Oct 2008 South African wine producer, Arniston Bay, is launching a one-litre fully recyclable Tetra Pak, which will further extend its range of environmentally friendly wine packaging.

The company has already launched a 1.5-litre pouch with 80% less of a carbon footprint than a glass bottle equivalent. It also plans to launch a 25cl version of the pouch.

Available in Chenin Blanc Chardonnay, Pinotage Rose and Cabernet Merlot varieties, the Arniston Bay Tetra Pak will be available for UK retailers from October with an RRP of £6.49 for one litre.

A lightweight alternative to glass bottles, the Arniston Bay Tetra Pak has a lower carbon footprint than wine in glass bottles, with a higher number of cartons transported in one shipping. In addition, the pack is 100% recyclable, making this an ideal choice for the environmentally conscious consumer.

Brand and Business Development Manager for 'the company of wine people', Barney Davis, said: “The Tetra Pak is an important addition to the Arniston Bay portfolio. A year on from the launch of our carbon-friendly pouch, we're aware that the wine consumer is on the look-out for more innovative forms of packaging that tick all the boxes in terms of convenience, ease of use and environmental benefits.

"Our Tetra Pak is not only a convenient addition to our wine range, it's also recyclable and is lighter to transport around the globe, helping us, as an international wine company, to lower our overall carbon footprint.”

Arniston Bay is one of the best international selling brands in the UK. Sales of the Arniston Bay range – available in a wide variety of packaging formats – are currently up by 21.9% year on year.

DAVID WORKMAN, British Glass – 22 Oct 2008 The news article announcing the launch of a range of Arniston Bay wines packed into Tetra Pak contains so much “green wash” that it's almost laughable. No sensible consumer is going to be taken in.

What, for instance, does the term “recyclable” actually mean? Almost anything is potentially recyclable. Glass is actually recycled – up to 90% recycled content in most green wine bottles, and can be recycled over and over again.

What evidence exists to verify the claim that the carton is 80% more environmentally friendly than glass? As there has yet to be a full cradle-to-cradle life-cycle assessment undertaken for glass, the figure quoted can only be regarded as wishful thinking.

Is it also right that brand owners and retailers should introduce a packaging format associated with the juvenile market at a time when underage consumption of alcohol is such a social issue?

The closest that Arniston Bay gets to matching the quality, feel and inertness of glass is the use of glass bottles in the graphics on the carton. It will never be able to replicate the real deal for wine packs – glass bottles themselves.

David Workman has a history in the glass industry spanning more than 30 years. He has worked in a variety of senior sales and marketing roles within the UK’s leading glass container manufacturers. He was appointed as Director General of British Glass in 2001.

BARNEY DAVIS, The Company of Wine People – 23 Oct 2008 Thanks to David for taking an interest in the environmental issues behind wine packaging, though accusations of "green wash" are a rather obvious and basic swipe at those who are working to create accountable, measurable improvements.

It is indeed a complicated area, so he can be forgiven for citing the literal tip of the iceberg as the entire issue. The real issue is about supply chain – how the glass gets here.

He is also correct in saying glass can be recycled, but anything can be recycled. It's down to the policy and economics as to the ease and efficiency of collection services. So what happens to the glass after it is recycled? To quote Fred Pearce in The Guardian (23 October) to simplify:

“As we post them in the recycling bin, we presume they go to make new bottles and cut out the energy cost of making new glass from sand. Well, it would if they turned the glass back into new bottles. But it turns out that often they don't. Much of London's recycled glass is actually crushed and sold to construction firms as a substitute for sand, or an ingredient in a substitute for asphalt such as Glasphalt – 'specially treated so it won't puncture tyres', as one recycling website puts it. That's a relief, but how many assiduous recyclers trying to do their bit for the environment realise they are actually helping build new roads?"

Additionally, David confuses the Tetra Pak with the pouch, which is completely different. And it is in fact the pouch, not the Tetra Pack, that has an 80% lower carbon footprint. The real issue that you can’t get away from is that glass is heavy and takes more energy and production to get here.

Arniston Bay also continues to produce in glass and is committed to promoting responsible alcohol use. We are simply trying to move debate and research along by testing and measuring a variety of packaging alternatives. * Barney Davis was Assistant Wine Buyer at Somerfield in 1999 and worked up to Product Group Manager. He left Somerfield to join the Co-op in 2003 as Category Wine Buyer. Barney is now Brand and Business Development Manager at The Company of Wine People, looking after brands such as Arniston Bay, Thandi Fairtrade, Kumkani, Welmoed and Versus.*

*The Guardian quote used by kind permission. *