Concha y Toro goes lightweight

Published: 17 September, 2009

Concha y Toro has announced the next stage in its sustainable development strategy, by moving its Sunrise brand into new 'Eco Glass' lightweight bottles.

The move highlights the commitment of Concha y Toro to reduce its carbon footprint. Having employed sustainable agricultural practices since the late 1990s, Chile's largest wine producer set out a formal programme of initiatives in early 2009 to reduce the environmental impacts of its brands.

The eco-friendly packaging will be on shelf in Waitrose from October. Both sunrise Sauvignon Blanc 2009, and Sunrise Merlot 2008, are both available in Waitrose, priced at £5.99.

Giancarlo Bianchetti, head of Concha y Toro's sustainable development programme said: "This is more than just a switch to lighter weight bottles - it is part of a comprehensive programme of weight and energy reduction. We were adamant to keep the same level of quality in our bottles so we engineered the shape of the bottle to use less glass - consequently less energy is used in the production process. The finished product retains the same quality and strength as before."

The producer introduced the first stage of its sustainable development programme in May 2009 by reducing the weight of its bottles across 20 brands, affecting around 68.4 million bottles.

In addition, a range of other environmental initiatives - including geo-thermal and solar power technology, waste reduction and energy conservation - will be rolled out throughout 2009/2010 in a concerted effort to reduce the carbon footprint of the company and the carbon footprint rate per product.

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