25 July, 2025

Few things beat sipping a smooth glass of wine on a hot summers evening, but knowing it has a lower carbon footprint has to be one of them.  

Fortunately, there’s a growing movement toward guilt-free wine drinking. Take KeyKeg, a packaging solution that allows restaurants to replace glass bottles with reusable kegs. From this simple switch one London restaurant save 3.74 tons of carbon emissions each year – equivalent to nearly 10,000 miles driven by car.  

Meanwhile, The Sustainable Wine Roundtable, a global platform promoting sustainability in wine, launched The Bottle Weight Accord in 2023. Participants commit to reducing bottle weight to under 420 g by 2026, cutting emissions by up to 25%.  

Boxed wine is also gaining traction. Brands like Laylo have elevated box design to feel premium, while boasting 90% lower emissions than glass bottles and keeping wine fresh for up to six weeks without compromising on taste. 

But has this focus on packaging created a blind spot? Many sources cite glass bottles as the main emissions driver, but a comprehensive review of life cycle assessments reveals significant variation depending on methodology, boundaries and production location. One consistent finding however is that the impact of viticulture, especially from pesticide and fertiliser use, is not to be underestimated.  

The Sustainable Wine Roundtable offers a framework for reducing chemical intensity in vineyards. Its principles include using fewer and milder chemicals, increasing regenerative practices, and making choices that support long-term sustainability—even if zero-chemical viticulture isn’t yet possible. 

The wine industry isn’t finished with sustainability yet, but by choosing brands like Laylo or pubs using KeyKeg, you can sip happy knowing you’re supporting reduced packaging emissions while demonstrating customer support for sustainability. Cheers to that.

By Nia Vines