Waitrose has announced that it will be replacing the majority of its small wine bottles with aluminium cans in an effort to reduce its carbon footprint. 

As of January 15, all small wine formats except for Champagne, Prosecco, Cava and Rioja – which are appellation restricted – will be replaced with cans. According to the retailer, this decision will save “320 tonnes of packaging in the first year” of its introduction. 

Barry Dick MW, who is the BWS bulk sourcing manager at Waitrose, said the supermarket is striving to make “reducing waste even easier” for its customers. 

Explaining the decision to opt for cans over glass bottles, he said: “Aluminium cans weigh significantly less than glass and create less than half the amount of CO2 than the equivalent single-use glass bottle, cans can also be recycled an infinite number of times. 

“We know that more people are buying their drinks in canned formats from cocktails on the go to craft beer which is why making this shift in our wine category makes so much sense,” he added.