Packaging Policy: Costs and Innovation Opportunities for Wine in the EU and UK

Key Takeaways

A few takeaways from the discussion:

• Packaging policy is now a core commercial factor. Packaging regulation is directly influencing cost structures, design choices, and strategic decisions across the wine supply chain, bringing packaging decisions into more defined commercial focus.
• Costs are rising quickly under EPR. Over the past year, UK packaging compliance costs have increased sharply for retailers, in some cases almost tripling overnight.
• Regulation is both long-term and fast-moving. The EU PPWR sets a staged pathway to 2030, 2035, and 2040, while fragmentation across EU countries, the UK, and US states adds immediate complexity.
• Lightweight glass is the first response, but not the only one. While lightweight glass remains a key lever for reducing both cost and carbon impact, aluminium cans and bottles, along with bag-in-box, are gaining ground as EPR differentials make alternatives increasingly competitive.
• Consumer adoption depends on more than sustainability. Moving beyond the dominant glass bottle format will require stronger drivers such as convenience, price, and quality reassurance, rather than environmental messaging alone.
• The market outcome is likely to be mixed. Rather than a single dominant solution, the sector is moving toward a multi-format future shaped by both regulatory pressure and consumer preferences around price, quality, and convenience.

Whats Next?

Interested in getting involved or contributing your insights? Contact Ilva Fridenberga at ilva@swroundtable.org.