Accolade Wines partners with Tesco and Loop with zero-waste shopping

Accolade Wines is taking part in a zero waste shopping initiative with supermarket chain Tesco and reusable packaging platform Loop.

The TerraCycle zero waste shopping scheme, which launched across 10 Tesco stores in the East of England this week, features Hardys Crest Cabernet-Shiraz-Merlot and Mud House’s Sauvignon Blanc and allows consumers to buy the wines, return the reusable bottles and repeat the process.

Customers will pay a fully refundable 50p deposit for using the durable glass bottles that house the wines and the bottles will be suitable for a minimum of 10 reuses. The deposit is paid on each reusable product at checkout and is refunded when the bottles are returned to a collection point in the store.

“This is the next step in Accolade’s sustainability journey following our carbon neutral certification last year. Reducing the environmental footprint of our products is a key focus for us to ensure we’re able to sustainably offer our quality wines to consumers for years to come,” said Accolade Wines managing director of Europe Caroline Thompson-Hill.

“Teaming up with Loop and Tesco makes perfect sense as we look to manage our business in an environmentally responsible manner at all levels. The Loop partnership, with its ethos of ‘Shop, Return, Refund, Repeat’ helps to cut down on packaging waste and promote the circular economy – this trial is a look to the future of grocery shopping,” said Thompson-Hill, adding: “We know that shoppers want more sustainable solutions, so it’s fantastic that a major supermarket like Tesco is embracing this scheme and offering people a convenient and eco-friendly way of buying some of their favourite brands.”

The initiative is part of Accolade Wines’ long-term commitment to sustainability. in the past 18 months, the company has introduced lighter weight bottles for Echo Falls and Hardys to reduce its glass-related CO2 brand footprint, unveiled Banrock Station’s flat bottles which are lighter and reduce the carbon footprint during transportation, and added more recyclable packaging to its ‘Wine on Tap’ formats.

The stores taking part in the trial are: Milton Keynes Kingston; Northampton South; Cambridge Newmarket Road; Wellingborough; Milton Keynes Wolverton; Evesham; Leicester Hamilton; Stratford-upon-Avon; Ashby-de-la-Zouch and Loughborough Rushes.

Both wines will be priced at the standard bottle price with Hardys Crest Cabernet-Shiraz-Merlot retailing at £7.50 and Mud House’s Sauvignon Blanc retailing at £10.