Viña Concha y Toro has taken a significant step towards sustainability by joining the Bottle Weight Accord, making it the largest wine producer to participate. The initiative aims to decrease the average weight of 750ml still wine bottles to 420g or lower by the end of 2026, which is expected to reduce the carbon emissions associated with wine packaging significantly.
Valentina Lira, the sustainability director at Concha y Toro, expressed confidence in the company’s ability to meet the target, crediting the collaborative efforts of their design, packaging, production, and sustainability teams. This move is positioned as just the first step toward further reductions in bottle weight and exploration of new formats.
A study by five major retailers revealed that the average weight of wine bottles is approximately 550g, contributing significantly to carbon emissions—around 30% of total emissions for businesses in the wine industry. This finding led to the formation of the Sustainable Wine Roundtable (SWR) and the launch of the Bottle Weight Accord in autumn 2023, initially supported by the retailers involved in the study. The accord now includes a diverse range of businesses across the wine supply chain, but Concha y Toro stands out as the largest participant.
As the leading wine producer in South America, Concha y Toro manufactures around 384 million bottles annually, with popular brands including Casillero del Diablo from Chile, Trivento from Argentina, and Bonterra from California. Dr. Peter Stanbury from SWR emphasized the significance of lightweighting standards, particularly noting the historical use of heavy bottles in South America.