The untapped potential of reusable wine bottles – Are we missing out? 

In the Netherlands, recycling has long been a success story. From glass collection bins to the statiegeld deposit return system for plastic bottles, aluminum cans, and glass beer bottles, the country has built strong systems to keep materials in circulation. Reuse has also played a significant role—just look at the beer industry. The Bruine Nederlandse Retourfles (BNR) is a great example: a standardized, refillable glass beer bottle that has been a cornerstone of Dutch breweries for decades. 

Yet, despite these successes, a significant gap persists: there’s still no large-scale reuse system for wine bottles—this in a country that throws away more than 600 million wine bottles each year! 

Enter Mission Reuse, a program determined to change that… 

Mission Reuse – a collaborative program formed by Enviu and Fair Resource Foundation – aims to drive the transition to reuse through innovation, pilots, knowledge sharing and policy. Amongst other things, they aim to develop a universal reusable alternative to single-use glass bottles, supported by a wide range of producers, retailers and hospitality workers – starting with the wine industry.  

Why wine bottles are up next 

After extensive research and exploration, Mission Reuse identified wine bottles as a prime opportunity for a reusable solution. The environmental impact of single-use glass is huge, but with the right solution in place, that can be changed.  

Imagine this. Instead of every winery or retailer using different bottle designs, there’s a universal, reusable wine bottle: one type of bottle that works for multiple producers, retailers, and hospitality venues. After use, the bottle is collected, cleaned, and refilled.  

This approach simplifies logistics, avoids waste, and makes it easy for consumers to understand and adopt. In fact, in an optimized system like this, (according to Verallia study) glass bottles can be reused 20 to 50 times resulting in a CO2 reduction of over 80% and an impressive 70% savings in water. 

But why focus on glass in the first place, and not replace it with any other material? 

Glass offers several great advantages: 

1. Durable and safe to use. Glass is strong, doesn’t absorb or leak chemicals, and protects products from UV light. It’s also easy to clean and reuse.  
2. Higher quality perception: There are a great deal of consumers who consider products in glass packaging to be of better quality than products packaged in plastic or cans.  
3. Consumers already recycle glass: In the Netherlands, 79% of glass is already collected for recycling. A reuse solution could build on these strong consumer habits to make reuse even easier. 

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Can reusable glass bottles become the norm by 2030? 

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Paving the way towards a reusable alternative 

Bringing together expertise, innovation, and a shared commitment to sustainability, a handful of front runners are already leading the charge toward a future where wine bottles are reused instead of discarded.  

In fact, during last years’ 2024 Reusable Packaging Fair, Mission Reuse (a program by Enviu and Fair Resource Foundation) – alongside PAKT and Walraven Sax – came together for a session on reusable wine bottles.  

During the session, the trio took the stage to highlight the past year’s developments in the field and present their shared vision. Most importantly, they set out to inspire major stakeholders across the value chain to unite and act urgently to make reuse the new norm. 

What’s been done so far? 

There’s been a lot of progress in the move towards reusable wine bottles. More front-runners are leading the way, several pilots have been carried out, and more businesses and consumers are becoming familiar with reuse!  

Here’s what’s been happening: 

• An increasing number of restaurants, hotels and event locations across the Netherlands is now serving wine from reusable bottles. 
• Reuse is gaining traction, with pilots such as the one at Tivoli Vredenburg in Utrecht getting media coverage. Reusable wine bottles have even been featured in national newspapers such as Trouw and NRC. 
• In early 2025, major supermarket chains will start using the system too, introducing it to a larger audience. 
   

Which hurdles still lie ahead? 

As with any large-scale project, there are still several hurdles ahead if we want to make the reusable system at scale a reality:   

1. Growing the coalition: To make this system work, more wineries, distributors, and key stakeholders across the supply chain must be engaged. Demonstrating the potential of reuse and aligning on new standards is essential for widespread adoption. 

2. Supermarket participation: While adoption has primarily been driven by hospitality venues, supermarkets play a crucial role in the success of this system. Their involvement will make wine in reusable bottles accessible to a broader consumer base and accelerate widespread adoption. At the same time, a nationwide bottle return infrastructure must be established to ensure both convenience for consumers and efficiency of the system. 

3. Consumer behavior: For the system to succeed, consumers must actively participate by returning their bottles. Changing consumer habits is essential, and campaigns will be necessary to educate and trigger action, ultimately embedding this practice into daily life.  

So, are reusable wine bottles in our future? With enough collaboration and commitment, the answer is a resounding yes!  

Want to be part of the movement?  

Learn more about Mission Reuse and how you can support their work. Together, we can make reusable wine bottles the new standard!