Waste Management

The wine sector already plays an active role in leading sustainable waste management practices through several company and sector lead initiatives. This includes reduction in packaging and other inputs, use of lighter weight packaging, wastewater recycling, and reuse of certain winemaking by-products such as grape marc.

However, production of waste remains an inevitable outcome of both food and beverage production as well as most other production systems. To meet our 2050 vision target of zero waste, it is vital that the wine sector’s waste management practices, infrastructure investments and supply chain decisions are continually improved. As innovation creates opportunity, we must focus more and more on the use of materials and resources that minimise non-reusable waste from grape through to glass.

Collectively, we all have an important role to play in encouraging:

• Continuous improvement of waste management practices;
• An enhanced understanding of the waste management hierarchy (avoid, reduce, reuse, recycle and recover);
• Use of environmentally friendly materials and packaging such as those that are lighter, reusable, recyclable, or biodegradable; and
• That all producers report and benchmark their waste generation through Sustainable Winegrowing Australia membership and certification.

We advocate for:

• Research and innovation to meet our Vision 2050 target of zero waste;
• Government encouragement and support for industry lead waste management initiatives that avoid unnecessary regulatory burden and/or costs on wine businesses seeking to minimise waste;
• Nationally consistent waste management policies which reduce impact on the environment; and
• Government and industry investment in improved infrastructure, facilities and services that reduce costs of waste management and generate opportunities for reducing waste.