Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Laithwaites leans into recycled glass

Published: 27 July, 2022

Online retailer Laithwaites has expanded its first recycled glass range following better-than-expected initial sales.

Paper bottle makes its way to Laithwaites

Published: 04 July, 2022

Online wine merchant Laithwaites has launched its first wine packaged in a paper bottle – continuing a packaging trend which is rapidly gathering speed.

Innovation Report: The glass debate

Published: 10 May, 2022

Is glass creating a bottleneck in the drive to greater sustainability and can we change consumer perception of it as a strong indicator of quality? Andrew Catchpole reports back from Harpers’ recent Sustainability of Glass webinar.

Spiralling production costs: the battle for bottles – and more

Published: 09 May, 2022

One of the biggest challenges facing wine producers worldwide is the shortage of glass bottles – but that’s not the only problem that will dog 2022, as James Bayley reports.

Rethinking glass

Published: 21 April, 2022

With glass recycling now definitively out of the deposit return scheme for England and Northern Ireland, the question of what to do with glass is back on the agenda. Could the future be reusable? Jo Gilbert reports.

Trade finds no easy solution in glass sustainability debate

Published: 21 April, 2022

For the near future, at least, the glass wine bottle is here to stay, albeit with a re-evaluation of how it is used, with consumer perception being a major hurdle to change.

Trade celebrates achievements while tackling bias via International Women’s Day

Published: 08 March, 2022

International Women’s Day (IWD) is shining a spotlight on the top female talent working in the industry today, with initiatives like Whisky Investment Partners’ Break The Bias campaign also raising awareness of the continuing battle for many to achieve gender parity in the workplace.

Common Counter pays homage to LGBTQ+ pioneers

Published: 07 February, 2022

Common Counter

Laithwaites launches new Sicilian label packaged in 'wild' glass

Published: 25 January, 2022

Online retailer Laithwaites has enhanced its sustainability credentials with the release of W/O (standing for 'without') Frappato 2020, an organic Sicilian red housed in ‘wild’ glass – claiming a UK first for wine.

Indies: Sustainable steps

Published: 10 December, 2021

With sustainability roaring back to the top of the agenda, Harpers surveyed the indie sector to discover what demonstrable initiatives, innovations and actions leading merchants have implemented on their green journey.

Long read: Alternative formats group refuses to let wine fall behind

Published: 12 November, 2021

As the COP26 Glasgow conference draws to a close, the UK wine trade moves a step closer to a more sustainable approach to wine packaging, with The Copper Crew, When in Rome, Graft Wine, BIB Wine, Canned Wine Co, and More Wine joining forces to form the Wine Traders for Alternative Formats association (WTAF).

Laithwaites commits to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2035

Published: 20 September, 2021

Laithwaites has committed to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2035, with the shorter-term goal of halving its carbon footprint by 2030.

31Dover to embrace pioneering low-carbon distribution technology

Published: 14 September, 2021

Independent supplier 31Dover will start to distribute spirit brands using an innovative distribution system that nearly eliminates packaging waste in the supply chain.

Encirc expands filling capability by 40%

Published: 01 September, 2021

UK glass manufacturer Encirc is set to expand its filling capacity by 40%, increasing its wine filling capacity by 75 million litres over the next year, to meet growing demand.

Wine: A circular sensation?

Published: 21 July, 2021

Having hosted the ‘Can wine be part of the circular economy?’ debate at the London Wine Fair, Jamie Goode reports back on the sustainability issues in wine packaging.

Long read: Will this be the decade the wine industry ditches glass?

Published: 24 June, 2021

Émilie Steckenborn, sommelier, education consultant and creator of the Bottled in China podcast, delves into the wine industry’s reliance on often coloured, non-recyclable glass while giving the lowdown on this year’s biggest sustainable launches.

LWF: Time to bottle it on glass?

Published: 19 May, 2021

As carbon emissions and the broader topic of sustainability climb back up the agenda, one of the more forward-looking sessions at London Wine Fair (LWF) 2021 cut to the heart of the issue.