Edeka Südwest to offer wine in refillable bottles

By: Trademagazin editor Date: 2024. 10. 03. 09:32

As first among retailers in Germany, Edeka Südwest is to introduce reusable wine bottles in an effort to reduce waste. The 0.75 l refillable bottles, which can be refilled up to 50 times, will cost customers a deposit of 25 cents.

Fotó: Wein-Mehrweg eG

Initially, 37 different wines will be available in refillable bottles, mainly in Edeka Südwest stores in the Württemberg region. Edeka Südwest is thus pioneering sustainable wine packaging in the German food retail sector.

The Wein-Mehrweg cooperative presented refillable wine bottles at the ProWein trade fair in March 2023, but the launch was delayed due to a lack of suitable 6-bottle compartments. This has since been developed, using recycled materials, in collaboration with Bad Wurzach-based manufacturer Oberland MV.

The reusable bottles can be refilled up to 50 times, resulting in significant resource and energy savings, as well as reducing waste production. Werner Bender, president of Wein-Mehrweg, says that entering the supermarket market is key for the German wine sector, as food retail accounts for two-thirds of wine sales. The refillable bottles are expected to be mainly used in Baden-Württemberg, but if the roll-out is successful, the company will make them available in other regions, too.

In the meantime, another major national supermarket chain has announced that it will soon start selling 0.75 litre refillable wine bottles.

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