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We’re thrilled to announce that we’ve been awarded ‘Green Champion of the Year’ at the 2023 Decanter Retailer Awards.
“Quietly, we have been working for the last three years to come to grips with the scale of our contribution to climate change,” says Chris Milson, our Head of Sustainability. “Like many, we’ve learned about carbon measurement and made some early progress. Also like many, we’ve developed an understanding of what remains to be done. Our five key priorities? emit less, store carbon, rescue biodiversity, protect vineyards and, all importantly, create climate leaders. ”
“We’re delighted that our efforts to become a more sustainable business have been recognised,” adds Chris. “While we don’t have all the answers, winning the ‘Green Champion’ title suggest we’re heading in the right direction.”
Here's what the judges had to say: “This is always one of the closest-fought, most intriguing categories to judge. Strong opinions flew - Direct Wines won thanks to its comprehensive action plan across many aspects of the business, from packaging to transport, training and biodiversity.”
As a business our emphasis has been, and will continue to be, on impacts over pledges. Looking after the planet to continue to bring customers great wines for the next 50 years … and beyond.
Ultimately we want to lead by humble example: collectively, we can create a climate-safe future.
Sustainability Highlights - The Wines
W/O: red, white and sparkling in 100% recycled glass.
Paper bottles: English ‘Redbrook’ Bacchus and Spanish ’12 Giants’ Merlot with a carbon footprint six times lower than glass.
Cabalié: a Laithwaites top-seller, is now available in a TetraPak version: to promote its acceptance by customers, many of whom associate glass with quality, this is available in a 1-litre size for the same price as a 750ml glass bottle.
Kew Series by Laithwaites: a collection of wines produced from ‘forgotten’ native varietals to promote the protection of plant diversity so central to viticulture around the world.
Sustainability Highlights - The Numbers
Bag-In-Box: Increased sales by 37%, with 70,739 units sold across 18 different wines in this period. Avoided 129 tCO2-e (from packaging only, compared to standard glass bottle).
TetraPak: Launched 2 SKUS in Tetra Pak as alternative to glass. Sold 74,825 units in this period. Saved 44 tCO2-e (from packaging only, compared to standard glass bottle).
Paper Bottle: Launched the Redbrook Estate Bacchus. Sold 3,069 units in this period. Avoided 1.2 tCO2-e (from packaging only, compared to a standard glass bottle).
Recycled glass: Introduced W/O in 100 % recycled “Wild Glass”. Sold 156,363 units. Reduced virgin glass production by 94 tons.
Light glass: We have been actively reducing average glass weight. For our entire range (including sparkling) this is now approximately 483g / 750ml bottle. This is significantly lower than industry average (the Sustainable Wine Roundtable estimates this to be 550g, for still wine only).
Removed capsules from 25 wines (and will continue to do so, to eliminate unnecessary carbon and waste).
Increased bulk shipments from 7% to 11% of our global sales YoY.
About the author
Jennie Jennings
When Jennie left the world of newspapers she was more at ease reporting on crime and planning policy drama than wine. But after six years of sampling the Laithwaites range and qualifying to WSET Level 3 Wine, you’re now more likely to find Bordeaux stains than ink on her notepads. Often found terrorising her colleagues with talk of Instagram Reels in her role as Social Media Manager, Jennie has a particular fondness for creamy, full-bodied white wines and Champagne.
