Reusable Wine Bottles Aim to Cut 47 Percent of Emissions in German Supermarkets

Kaufland has introduced reusable wine bottles in about 200 of its stores in southern Germany. The supermarket chain now offers regional red, rosé, and white wines in 0.75-liter bottles that can be returned and refilled. For each bottle, customers pay a deposit of 25 cents, which is refunded when the bottle is returned. The new bottles are supplied by Wein-Mehrweg eG, a cooperative made up of 14 producers. According to the cooperative, it represents more than five percent of German wine production.

After customers return the bottles, they are cleaned and refilled for reuse. Markus Bretz, head of food and beverage purchasing at Kaufland, said the new system expands the company’s reusable packaging options. He explained that customers benefit by avoiding trips to glass recycling containers, supporting environmental efforts, and receiving a regional quality product.

Kaufland reports that glass production is the largest source of carbon dioxide emissions in wine production, accounting for about 47 percent of emissions per bottle. By reusing bottles, the company aims to reduce these emissions. The reusable bottles are marked with an embossed neck and a special symbol on the label to distinguish them from single-use bottles.

In addition to the bottles, Kaufland offers a crate made from recycled materials with a deposit value of 3.50 euros. Both the bottles and crates can be returned at any Kaufland reverse vending machine across Germany. The initiative is part of Kaufland’s broader effort to promote sustainability and reduce waste in its stores.