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Don’t judge a wine by its boxEven the most tradition-bound industries can innovate for the environment.
Tyler Colman, aka Dr. Vino, takes to the pages of the New York Times to report on the latest developments in green wine, one of our favorite topics here at TerraPass. Boxed wine, you might recall, is more environmentally friendly than wine shipped in heavy glass bottles. And, contrary to popular impression, not all boxed wine is terrible. The Italian government just announced that some wines that receive the government’s quality assurance label may now be sold in boxes. In the south of France, most fridges are stocked with a box of rosé during the summer months. This makes sense. Boxed wine is not just environmentally friendly. It’s also consumer friendly. Boxes are cheaper, easier to handle, and neatly eliminate the problem of wine waste when you can’t finish a whole bottle. The large majority of table wines aren’t meant to age, making them perfectly well suited to box packaging. Of course, most boxed wines in the U.S. aren’t of a very high quality. But this, as Dr. Vino notes, is a solvable problem. America will soon be the largest wine market in the world. Put better wine in the box, and consumers will surely come around. (Could this be a job for Wal-Mart?) Image by Flickr user Ian Wilson. Comments
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But are the boxes recyclable like bottles are? Aren't they covered in a waxy substance that prevents them from being recycled like tetrapaks?
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There are actually a number of quality box wines available in the US... Australia's Banrock Station and Hardys come to mind. The best thing about box wine is that the rest of the wine doesn't oxidize if you just want one glass a night. I do wish they were recyclable, just like I wish boxes of soymilk were recyclable.
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I agree! I've never had boxed wine, but if the boxes are recyclable, I'd definitely give it a try. For now I may try the ones Ken has recommended. Btw Ken, if you want a soymilk that's in a recyclable container, you should try 8th Continent, I feel it's better than those in the carton. It comes in a plastic container, a square one at that and I have no problems fitting it on the refrigerator door.
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Love 8th Continent soymilk too! Anyway, getting back to the vino question, anyone know for certain if the boxes are recyclable? Yes, no, maybe?? A definitive answer would be great before my next trip to the store. Thanks....
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I suspect the recyclability of the boxes is irrelevant when one compares the environmental cost of shipping glass bottles vs boxes. I note that some wines are also being offered in plastic bottles which are esthetically more pleasing than the boxes(looks like real wine!), but I have concerns about the use of (even recyclable) products that are fossil fuel based. Finally, I have also been made aware of a product which is called Plantatree wine (www.plantatreewine.com)which incorporates tree planting as an integral part of the marketing of the product which I believe is still being sold in glass bottles. Lots of options, which is best?
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I also prefer drinking milk in a box (UHT Milk), although it's hard to get where I live. Box wine is popular in Spain (as is UHT Milk), where they know a few things about wine. Usually the treatment to make it lightproof and waterproof makes the cardboard unrecyclable, but as far as I know it's still the better choice because it's lighter to transport, and can be more effectively transported (less wasted space because the boxes are easily stacked).
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Hi folks,
My understanding is that these boxes are not recyclable, but, as Jeff and Sarah say, they're still better than shipping bottles. Recycling is good, but not using fossil fuels is also good, and the tetrapaks likely come out ahead.
As for plantatree vs. tetrapaks, one good rule of thumb here would be to buy whichever wine you most like to drink (or buy both if you enjoy the variety).
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8th Continent is great soymilk... our usual store doesn't sell it, unfortunately. We should ask for it.
I'd say the wine boxes could be recyclable, they're printed and slick, but still corrugated cardboard but not lined plastic. There's a plastic bag inside which contains the wine, and a spout, which are definitely not recyclable. In our area it's extremely difficult to recycle corrugated cardboard.
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asceptic containers (soy milk, rice milk, etc.) are recyclable in my area (Oregon) Warehouser extracts the high-grade paper.
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I worked on the development of Black Box Wines which is one of the biggest brands in the premium boxed wine category. The boxes are recyclable because they contain collapsable plastic bags that are placed inside the box. The plastic bags can even be reused for water or any other liquid on backpack trips or other outdoor adventure. Most of the plastic bags I have seen are also recyclable.
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I think some of the confusion (which I contributed to) is due to the fact that there's more than one type of boxed wine. Tetrapaks generally aren't recyclable in the U.S., although they are in some other countries. These are the plasticized cardboard boxes with screw caps and pour spouts.
Then there are the plain ol' cardboard boxes that contain plastic pouches. These guys apparently are easier to recycle.
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Bota Box is sold in a lovely brown box that is not only recyclable, as it is not glossy, but is printed on post consumer recycled cardboard. There are 5 grape varieties, though I have only had the reds. I am very picky about wine, and this wine is a fabulous wine for the money (less than $20.00 per box) and has a dainty little footprint. Black Box is also especially yummy, but this one is greener and about $7.00 less per box. I recommend the Cab Sav.
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I would be concerned about: recycling the boxes and recycling the liner that holds the wine. Also, are there any health risks associated with the material used for the liners???
We are fortunate to have a local winery that only uses organic grapes--TenSpoons in Missoula, MT.
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I have read all the comments, but do not recognize an "official" in them. I would need a proof-positive instruction, as I am MOST interested in this problem. There is also a wonderful VALLE brand mango juice, which is the MOST superior, but it is the waxed, sealed, cardboard-- NOT recyclable!
What to do? Is there an office answer?
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Recently I've been participating in bottle-your-own events at a couple of local wineries in the San Francisco bay area. You bring your own empty and clean wine bottles (or buy their new ones, which would defeat the purpose of reuse) and you can watch them get refilled. The two I have found are http://www.obesterwinery.com/ and http://www.guglielmowinery.com/cork-equity.htm . It's pretty fun!
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