Ecolabels for Wines 1. What exactly are the Εcolabels? Ecolabels (or “green” stickers) are consumer-oriented information tools about the environmental performance of a product (e.g. wine) or of its production process. They inform the consumer on the extent of environmental impacts from the production of the specific wine or from its packaging process. As of now, they are voluntary.
2. Are there many Ecolabels? Yes. Each conveys a specific “message” to the consumer regarding environmental performance of the wine or the winery. Labels referring to food safety or quality control are not ecolabels.
3. Are there special ecolabels for biological or organic or bio-dynamic wines? Yes, there are. But these labels refer to the use, or not use, of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides, sulfites, etc. They do not “inform” on environmental impacts.
4. How are the various Ecolabels differentiated? The various ecolabels could refer to various environmental aspects, such as: CO2 emissions (a measure of carbon footprint), impacts on biodiversity, consumption of water (water footprint), consumption of energy, use of renewable energy sources, bioclimatic wineries, waste recycling and reusing, etc. An ecolabel could refer to one aspect (e.g. CO2 emissions) or to combinations of impacts (multi-dimensional ecolabels). There is a tendency, globally, for wineries to acquire ecolabels concerning their corporate social responsibility as well as the sustainable performance of the facilities. An ecolabel may refer to the whole Life Cycle of the wine (cultivation, use of fertilizers, production, bottling, packaging, transport, waste disposal) or only to a part of the cycle (e.g. cultivation, winery facility, energy use, or waste management).
Ecolabels are based on Life-Cycle-Assessment (LCA) studies. 5. What is Life Cycle Assessment?
LCA is a scientific process for the quantitative assessment (measurement) of all the environmental, economic and social impacts which occur during to the whole life cycle of a product (e.g. wine). LCA is a powerful decision support tool for environmental management, since it is based on actually measured data. Ultimate Objective of an LCA study: Reduction of the impacts which burden the wine and/or the winery; as a rule, LCA leads to reduction of operating costs, too! Φαλήρου 57, 11742, Αθήνα |F +30 213.033.96.45 E info@closetheloop.gr www.closetheloop.gr
6. What do I, the wine producer, benefit from a voluntary ecolabel? What is in for me? The number of environment-sensitive consumers increases exponentially, globally. This is especially true for quality-wine consumers; they are more environmentally sensitive than the average consumer. The appropriate ecolabel offers a competitive advantage. Some of the world’s largest retailers (e.g. Wal-mart, Unilever, Best Buy) put on their “selves” only products with some ecolabel. The voluntary aspect raises an opportunity for projecting the “green” profile of the wine and the winery, with a view at a long run. Moreover, in most cases, ecolabel adoption is accompanied by reduced operating costs! Ecolabeling guides you through more effective and efficient uses of resources and raw materials, while it offers opportunities for improving the organizational structure of the company.
7. How do I recognize the appropriate Ecolabel for my winery? It all depends on your company’s strategy. Each ecolabel signifies a specific added value for the product or the production process, depending on the label’s recognition in the countries where the wine is consumed, the consumers’ sensitiveness, the credibility of the certifying body, the label’s reference scope (e.g. emissions of air pollutants like CO2, water or energy consumption, social responsibility, or recycling). Is our target wine market in U.S.A.? Germany? Russia? Canada? We choose ecolabels that are recognized there and come up to scratch the sensitiveness of wine consumers. But that is not all. Each ecolabel has its own specific presuppositions regarding the calculation of the impacts and the certifying process. In choosing a label, one has to take into consideration the organizational adequacy and capacity of the winery enterprise to reciprocate to the requirements of the certifying process.
8. Who certifies the Ecolabel? Every ecolabel is backed by a Certification Organization. The Organization’s international recognition has a definitive significance for the value of the ecolabel.
9. Some wineries measure the Carbon Footprint. Is this enough? The question really is “does it attract customers”? And the answer is given by the market! The objective is to create a competitive advantage. If consumers are not impressed, then it is not enough!
10. What does Close the Loop offer? 1. Designation of the appropriate ecolabel for the wine and/or the winery; this will be based on: The strategy of the winery enterprise, The added value of the available ecolabels as well as the corresponding presuppositions, The organizational capacity of the enterprise to meet these presuppositions. 2. Communication with the Certification Organization and support for the certification process. 3. Life Cycle Analysis for the calculation of the environmental impacts related to the selected ecolabel. 4. Utilization of these LCA calculations for reducing environmental impacts and operating costs.
Recently, Close the Loop did the first LCA study of a wine from Peloponnesus! Φαλήρου 57, 11742, Αθήνα |F +30 213.033.96.45 E info@closetheloop.gr www.closetheloop.gr