The wine bottle has developed into a formidable emblem for wine lovers globally. Today a bunch of ripe, juicy grapes is easily overshadowed by a pretty bottle with a catchy label. The average carbon footprint of a bottle of wine is 1.28 kilograms of carbon dioxide, as reported by Know the Flow. That is the same as if a Honda Accord were driven three miles.
The primary subjects for discussion about wine when connoisseurs are enjoying their favorite wine while relaxing with their fav online casino are its origin, its maker, and whether it’s vintage. Wine bottle manufacturing, shipping methods, and the energy needed to run vineyard machinery are hardly ever discussed. Still, it is vital to highlight that the path your wine took to get to you is even more significant than the origin of this particular bottle. Here’s a little glimpse at the process that goes into making the wine you love so much.
Grape harvesting and packaging
The ripple effect of a wine bottle actually starts in the vineyards. Know the Flow found that out of the total CO2 produced, 1.28 kg is attributable to the manufacturing of raw materials. The creation of packaging is also part of this figure.
Transportation
Colman and Paster analyzed the modalities of transportation in the wine production industry. It found that shipping by sea proved to be the most efficient form of transport, while air cargo had the largest carbon footprint. The carbon footprint of French wine shipped to the East Coast of the United States by sea is smaller than that of California wine shipped via airplane.
So What Can Be Done?
It’s no secret that producing wine demands numerous resources and adds significantly to global warming. Below are a few of the methods currently used by several wineries to reduce their footprint hence becoming more sustainable.
- Switching to biodiesel
The best way to reduce your carbon footprint is to first understand how much CO2 your winery emits during production. Another thing would be monitoring which parts of the production process are the worst offenders. You can measure your emissions using different programs, and you will realize that using biodiesel for some parts of this production process will significantly reduce the emissions. A good example would be using it to fuel the tractors at your vineyard.
Using biodiesel helps to reduce fossil fuel usage, which is already a significant climate change contributor. The principle of biodiesel is as follows: plants utilize CO2 in the atmosphere. Biodiesel is made from plants, and once burned, the by-product is CO2, which renders the entire process carbon neutral. By using biodiesel and similar green initiatives, you’ll be well on your way to running a carbon-neutral winery.
- Buy carbon offsets
Another way to offset your carbon impact is by buying carbon offsets. For this to work, you first have to calculate your total emissions allowing you to know how much you need to offset. For more accurate results, opt for a custom carbon footprint analysis. Once you have the figures, you can purchase your offsets from a reputable organization. Most of them also use part of the money to support and fund projects reducing emissions in different parts of the world. By purchasing carbon offsets, you will offset tonnes of CO2 emissions annually.
- Stop tilling your vineyards
Tilling of agricultural land is one way the wine industry impacts the environment. Tilling refers to the process of overturning soil to aerate it, turn over cover crops, and control weeds. Although generally viewed as beneficial, tilling leads to soil erosion. It also increases greenhouse emissions due to a loss in carbon sequestration in the soil.
It might come as a surprise, but 19% of the CO2 emissions induced by human activity result from soil disturbance either through deforestation or agriculture.
In comparison, zero-tillage has a 26-31% lower global warming potential. Therefore, you can follow the example of many sustainability-oriented wineries and implement this. Removing tillage from your vineyards and using a no-till crop cover annually will significantly reduce your carbon footprint.
- Purchase lightweight bottles
When considering the footprint of a wine bottle, it is vital not to overlook the packaging and transportation processes. Transportation and minimal recycling of conventional heavy wine glass bottles account for a large percentage of total CO2 emissions.
The growing of grapes and pre-bottling contribute 15% and 17% to a winery’s emissions, respectively. By switching to more lightweight bottles, you will reduce the weight of your bottles by around 20%. Overall, this significantly impacts the footprint of each bottle of wine.
- Convert to solar power
Vineyards are typically located in areas with an excellent climate and a lot of sunshine, as this is the only way to produce high-quality grapes. As a winery, you can take advantage of this and use this sunlight also to generate solar power.
During the production of wine, massive volumes of hot water are required for cleaning and barrel work. The water-heating process alone consumes about 20% of the total energy output. You can offset over 20 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually by using solar energy for the heating process. You could also harness solar power on a broader scale and install these panels on your rooftop, parking lot, etc.
In total, your solar electric panels could aid in offsetting hundreds of tonnes of CO2 emissions.
Take away
Make sure you look at the big picture while rethinking your wine operations. Finding a local wine supplier is one option to look into.
The average person may, and should, get easily carried away in the history around a particular wine. Who doesn’t love to wow their friends with a heavy, elegant wine bottle they’ve picked out for a party?
Now is the opportune time for winemakers to make these adjustments because today’s consumers are more concerned about sustainability. Leverage over rivals is possible through eco-friendly production practices like recycling.
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