Bag-in-box is an alternative way to store and transport wine
As the price of oil increased this past year so did interest in finding ways to reduce the cost of transporting wine. Numerous studies have shown that about 50% of the energy and cost of transporting wine in a glass is associated with the bottle.
Recently, we wrote about the appearance of Labouré-Roi’s Beaujolais Nouveau in a plastic bottle and discussed the carbon footprint of plastic wine bottles. But plastic wine bottles are a new comer to the world of alternative wine packaging. By far, the most widely used alternative package for wine is the bag-in-box, or BIB as it is sometimes called.
History of bag-in-box technology
Bag-in-box, or BIB, technology has been around for more than fifty years. Developed by William Scholle, BIB was originally developed for storing and transporting battery acid. In the 1960s, inventors in Australia further developed the idea with the introduction of the so-called wine cask. The wine-cask was a BIB for wine that was fitted with an airtight tap used to dispense the wine.
Wines of the world in BIB
Since its inception, BIB has been used for inexpensive wine because it is an inexpensive technology. Historically, BIB has been most widely used for distribution of so-called “jug wines” in quantities of 3 to 5 liters. This format is popular in Australia and Europe. One study reported that 12.5% of all French household wine is sold in the BIB format.
In August, the Italian Agricultural Ministry announced that some wines regulated under the DOC rules could be distributed using alternative packages other than glass. The alternative packaging approved by the Italian government included bag-in-box.
The new rules do not apply to all Italian wines. DOC wines with certain labels, such as “riserva” or “superiore”, and all DOCG wines are still prohibited from sale in BIB. This rule change does, however, greatly increase the volume of quality wine that can be distributed using BIB.
BIB comes of age in the US
The BIB format is also catching on in the US. Recently, Almaden and Inglenook announced they were switching all of their 3 and 4 liter wine bottles to bag-in-box containers. Concerns about costs and a growing sensitivity to the carbon footprint of their products seem to be the motivation for the switch. Almaden and Inglenook’s CEO, David Kent, said in the new product announcement that the carbon footprint of the BIB format was less than half of what it was to bottle and distribute the wine in glass bottles.
Carbon footprint for BIB
Large format packages, such as 4 to 6 liters, distributed as bag-in-box, weigh about 40% less than an equivalent amount of wine distributed in glass. This does not mean, however, that the carbon footprint across the entire life cycle is 40% less.
In addition to the transportation carbon footprint, you must also consider the carbon footprint associated with other stages in the lifecycle of the BIB container, such as transportation of the raw materials, manufacturing waste transportation and disposal, package recycling, package disposal, etc.
A comprehensive Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) by an independent group is required to establish the total emissions for BIB packaging and exactly how much of an improvement BIB offers when compared to glass. Most of the companies offering BIB format seem to think the switch results in more than a 50% reduction in the carbon footprint of their products.
BIB limitations
The downside to BIB format is shelf life. The internal bladder is not hermetically sealed and the wine “ages” in the unopened container. Wine stored for a year is reported to be substantially degraded compared to wine stored in glass bottles. Given that a typical bottle of wine is opened within a few weeks to a couple of months of distribution, this limitation should not prove to be much of a problem. However, wine buyers should be mindful of the “expiration date” of BIB wine.
The recent drop in gasoline prices may slow the march toward alternative wine packaging, but the cost and carbon savings associated with the adoption of alternative packaging seem destined to force change. To be sure, the wines to first be affected will be low cost wines. But with Italian DOC wines lining up to switch some production to BIB, it is just a matter of time before the “box” makes an appearance in your house as well.
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow, if Italian DOC’s go for BIB, I’m all for it. Can’t wait to try it! I think BIB suffers from an image problem but the more quality producers get sold into doing BIB, the less resistance they’ll be, just like screwcaps.
Winesleuth,
I agree with you! The only limitation with BIB technology for me is the average ambient temperature in my house is well above 70°F all year long, which makes the counter a bad place to store red wine in any packaging format. So I would have to leave the box in the cellar and go in and out or keep the box in the ‘frig and wait for each glass of red to warm up a bit. Of course the format is great for parties and white wine.
It is going to be interesting to see this market segment develop and I will certainly participate.
Cheers,
Neil
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