Faced with the current industry-wide purchasing downturn, wineries are exploring new avenues for growth and economic security. Many are enhancing their marketing with a focus on meeting the sustainability and transparency preferences of younger generations. These consumers are not only concerned with a winery’s approach to agriculture and winemaking but also with the sustainability of the bottles and the packaging.

“Wineries tell us they’re seeing this trend as more consumers buy sustainable wines,” says Mark Pitifer, Marketing & Communications Administrator at Waterloo Container. “Wineries also say they want to help keep the glass out of landfills. It’s a feel-good moment for the purchaser to buy wine from winemakers and an industry that is investing in eco options and sustainable choices.”

Meeting this consumer demand means using recyclable, lightweight bottles and closures with a reduced carbon footprint. Waterloo Container offers a complete lineup of eco-glass options manufactured in the US, which gives wineries peace of mind when tariffs are looming. Because they're lightweight, there are fewer transportation and fuel costs, as well as fewer manufacturing, energy and labor costs—and the bottles are 100% recyclable.

As a premier distributor of corks, caps, closures and glass containers to the wine and craft beverage industries for 45 years, the family-owned Waterloo Container has made it a priority to lead the way with environmentally responsible packaging solutions.

“It feels great to be a part of something bigger than yourself,” says President and Owner Bill Lutz. “Our partnership with great vendors like Ardagh Glass, Amcor Stelvin and M.A. Silva Corks has allowed us to grow our business while providing quality packaging supplies to our customers and promoting products with a positive environmental impact.”

These partners recognize Waterloo Container’s efforts. In addition, M.A. Silva awarded them a “green certificate” for protecting 60 acres of forest area. VP of Operations Gustavo Beltran says, “Waterloo Container, a proven expert in packaging material, is one of the most important partnerships that M.A. Silva Corks has had over our two decades of doing business together. We share cultural, systemic and environmental values that have allowed us to grow into close business and personal partners.”

“What truly sets us apart from our competitors is that we're the largest stocking distributor in the Northeastern United States and North Eastern Canada,” says Pitifer, “We maintain a large inventory of bottles and closures in our warehouses. We first forecast future needs with our customers to ensure they never have a hiccup in the supply chain. Because we service wineries of all sizes throughout the US and in over thirty countries internationally, we have the wherewithal—the capacity, logistics and team—to deliver on those forecasted needs. We take pride in the fact that our customers can pull what they need from us when they need it.”

To learn more about how a sustainability-focused supplier like Waterloo Container can be a boon to your efforts to reduce your environmental footprint and align with eco-conscious younger generations, contact us at contactus@waterloocontainer.com.