Ray O'Connor MW joins EcoSip

By James Lawrence

Published: 13 November, 2024

Leading wine packaging firm EcoSip has appointed Ray O’Connor as non-executive director, bringing over a decade of retail experience to the sustainability-led company.

Established in 2020 as The Online Wine Tasting Company, the rebranded EcoSip “aims to lead in sustainable packaging, protecting wine quality while addressing environmental and economic concerns”.

Born in Ireland, O'Connor has a formidable résumé. After spending six years working as a commercial manager for the International Wine Challenge, he accepted a position with Naked Wines as wine director. His decade-long tenure saw O'Connor greatly bolster the brand's presence in the UK, in addition to judging and running a successful wine school.

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He joins a small team that includes Magda Buska and co-founders Alex Taylor and Jamie Smith, along with Ib Schjotz-Pedersen, who also serves as a non-executive director.

According to EcoSip: “Our unique containers are responsible for 100 times less CO2 emissions than standard glass bottles and save over 80% on the upcoming EPR (Enhanced Producer Responsibility) taxes, significantly reducing waste and cost.

“The lightweight, space-efficient design cuts transportation costs, making them ideal for wine samples and by-the-glass programmes in restaurants, pubs and meal delivery services, all while preserving the quality of the wine perfectly.”

O’Connor said: “EcoSIP represents a groundbreaking approach to drinks packaging. I am excited to be part of a company that is not only committed to protecting the environment but also to enhancing the quality and accessibility of wine, especially in the single-serve space, which has unique challenges.”

Developed after four years of extensive research and testing, EcoSip proclaims that its vessels “weigh and measure a fraction of conventional packaging, allowing new delivery models such as letterbox wine packs, making it perfect for wine producers and distributors, supermarkets, wine educators and wine regions looking to embrace sustainable practices”.

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