Purchasing Power & Wine

Purchasing Power & Wine

To mark Earth Day, we consider how we can all put our purchasing power to work this year to drive change, including the wine we buy.

Buy less. 

Overconsumption is a major contributor to environmental degradation and climate change. By buying fewer things, we reduce demand for products that require energy and resources to produce, and the amount of waste generated. And it's not just the "big ticket" items:  around one third of food produced globally is lost or wasted, contributing 8-10% of total man-made greenhouse gas emissions. If food waste were a country, it would be the world’s third largest emitter after China and the USA. The UK throws away around 9.5 million tonnes of food each year – even though 8.4 million people in the UK are in food poverty.¹ So, this one is pretty simple: buy only what you need and know you will consume.

Buy well.

Higher-quality items that will last longer will generally have less of an impact on the environment as they will need to be replaced less frequently. As well as looking for quality, try to choose products that are produced with sustainability in mind. For example, avoid single-use plastics, seek out products that are grown or produced locally, (reducing the need for long-distance transportation and the associated emissions), and look out for certifications such as the Energy Star label, Forest Stewardship Council certification, Fair Trade certification or Organic and Biodynamic certifications. In short, consume mindfully, and make the consumption count.

Using your purchasing power with wine. 

There are few people who don't enjoy a good wine deal. But it's worth considering what's enabling the deal prices. Industrial farming practices which over-farm the land and lead ultimately to desertification? Chemicals that increase short-term yield, but which create localised risks to people and leave residual traces? What may seem like good value today may be leaving a hangover for our planet and the people who live on it. Consider investing your wine budget into fewer bottles, focusing on higher quality and more sustainably produced wines, which you can enjoy mindfully.

Discover our "greenest" winemakers.

We've put together a special collection of wines from the vineyards in our collective that have earned our highest sustainability ratings. These are the trailblazing pioneers who are going further to farm the land and produce wine sustainably. And we're proud to be working with them. Build your own mix & match case to try these "greener" wines out here.

1 - Sources: WRAP and IPCC