Endeavour Group says joining the Sustainable Wine Round Table will help it work with suppliers to develop and implement meaningful sustainability initiatives. Endeavour is the first Australian retailer to join SWR.
SWR was founded in 2021 and is a global, independent not-for-profit roundtable that includes the whole wine industry value chain, from production to retail. Its goal is to increase sustainability in the global wine sector through a host of initiatives including developing industry standards, certification schemes, collaboration, and research.
Other Australian members are Casella Family Brands, Freshcare, Margaret River Wine Association, Pernod Ricard Winemakers, Treasury Wine Estates (founding member), Sustainable Winegrowing Australia (founding member), and Wine Industry Suppliers Australia.
Endeavour Group’s head of commercial wine, Leigh Firkin, said joining SWR would allow the company to contribute to programs that foster enhanced sustainability practices across the international wine spectrum.
SWR research director, Dr Peter Stanbury said the group was delighted and excited to welcome Endeavour Group as a member.
“Endeavour Group has already pioneered some great work on sustainability, and it will be great to work on other issues in the future,” he said.
Firkin said, “At Endeavour we continuously work with our supplier partners to explore meaningful sustainability initiatives and opportunities that give back to the planet.
“Our ReCork initiative is an example of that. The scheme has collected 470,200 corks since October 2023.
“After two years in the making, we have been proud to finally unveil Australia’s only large-scale natural cork stopper recycling program in partnership with cork distributor Amorim Australasia and recycling initiative Save Our Soles.”
The scheme has been implemented throughout the east coast of Australia and addresses the challenges traditionally faced when recycling natural cork stoppers by repurposing them.
Endeavour has also introduced more sustainable packaging options with bagnums and more lightweight bottles.
Firkin said bagnums are an alternative to glass and have a smaller carbon footprint.
“They’re also a great option for social occasions due to their portability and also appeal to our customers seeking moderation, as the wine inside them lasts for 30 days once opened, which also means less wine goes to waste,” she said.
She said that Endeavour sees the benefit of working together to find solutions like bagnums or the ReCork initiative.
“Involving industry experts, from viticulturists and winemakers, through to packaging processes, our supply chain, and customers; we are also open to ideas from our suppliers on how we can improve our sustainability credentials by working from grape to glass.
“Our membership in the Sustainable Wine Round Table is a testament to our unwavering commitment to ensuring a more sustainable future for the industry,” Firkin said.
