As retailers gear up for the annual boost in sales of Champagne ahead of the holiday season, Tesco has unveiled a new lighter bottle designed to curb carbon emissions and reduce waste associated with toasting in the new year.
The supermarket chain has started this month stocking its De Vallois Champagne in 830g bottles, a reduction of 70g on the standard 900g design.
The company confirmed plans to use lightweight bottles across its entire Champagne range over the next few years, arguing that the design will cut waste levels, curb the carbon footprint of the drink, and reduce transport costs.
The move forms part of an industry-wide initiative to use lighter bottles currently being pursued by the Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne, the body responsible for producing and distributing wine from the world-famous Champagne region.
Andrew Gale, category technical manager for Tesco Beers, Wines and Spirits, said that the move is part of a broader initiative to reduce the amount of glass used across the division.
The company claimed last year to have introduced the lightest-ever wine bottle, weighing in at 300g compared to a standard bottle at 420g, and Gale said that further improvements are in the pipeline.
"We are fully committed to reducing glass waste across our entire drinks portfolio and are working closely with our suppliers and the wider industry to deliver significant CO2 reductions throughout our supply chain," he said. "We are confident that the Tesco shopper will respond positively to the move."
The move came in the same week as the government-backed Waste and Resources Action Program released its latest update on supermarkets' progress on the voluntary waste reduction targets set as part of the Courtauld Commitment.
The report concluded that supermarkets had made good progress reducing packaging and food waste, but urged them to step up efforts to cut waste produced across their supply chains.
