The Impact of Alternative Packaging on the Life Cycle of Wine on Tap

Abstract

Sustainability is one of the main goals of the development policy and is also progressively gaining importance in the wine industry. The peculiar draught wine market is also strongly influenced by it. The current competitive conditions of the sector and the evolution of consumption styles have led to an increasing need for more accurate management strategies and analysis activities to determine the performance of wineries.
 This study aims to analyse both the environmental and the economic concerns of a commercial development strategy carried out by an Italian winery that is using three packaging formats (glass bottle, one way PET keg, and reusable steel keg) in the sale of Falanghina PGI wine in three different markets areas (domestic, Italy; regional, Germany; and international, USA). The assessment of the environmental and economic impact of the different formats on the three scenarios through an LCA and LCC analysis shows that the economic and environmental sustainability of packaging types can vary significantly depending on the market destinations. Nevertheless, the results show that PET, and especially reusable materials such as steel, can lead to a marked reduction in impacts on the market for tapped wine.