Wine Shipper Drops Styrofoam Packaging

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OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Winetasting Network, a direct-to-consumer shipper, is finding savings in switching away from foam packaging.

The company has converted 80 percent of its packaging from expanded polystyrene foam (the white peanuts or blocks used in shipments) to corrugated cardboard and pulp made from recycled newspapers.

"Being based in Napa, the center of the wine country, we see the trend of winery clients enhancing their on-site environmental practices," said Chris Edwards, vice president and general manager of The Winetasting Network. "As an example many wineries are going to organic pest management, etc. Given that trend we felt that as a critical piece of the logistics channel, we have an obligation to take a lead and begin to measure our role in best practices toward sustainability."

The only hitch preventing the company from eliminating all foam, he said, is the need for denser packaging for certain items like 3 liter and 6 liter bottles. "We have tasked our suppliers to design alternatives but none are acceptable to date," he said.

At first the switch was cost neutral, but with the rise in the price of petroleum, which polystyrene comes from, pulp and fiberboard is now the cheaper option, Edwards said.

Because the Winetasting Network repackages wine and accessories, it ends up with a lot of packaging waste from shipments coming in from wineries. Within the last year, the company sent 700 tons of cardboard and fiberboard to be recycled into corrugated cartons and boxes.

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