Sustainability at Canned Wine Co. 

At Canned Wine Co., we are committed to integrating sustainability into every fibre of our business. We recognise the responsibility businesses have to create a positive impact and the need to communicate our progress transparently. We want to be humble about our imperfections and continuously learn and share our insights along our sustainability journey.  

Since our early beginnings in 2019, Canned Wine Co. has tried to build sustainable habits and disrupt traditional thinking using a holistic approach that considers the multi-faceted and intertwined intricacies of sustainability. From setting up our supply chain based on bulk shipping and cans, to creating an inviting culture and becoming an attractive local employer for top talent. 

As we go into our 5th year of business, the time is long overdue to finally share our goals and progress we’ve been working on internally, with our stakeholders and wider community. We have created our Sustainability Roadmap to outline our approach to sustainability, review our progress so far and show the goals we are working towards. We still have a tremendous amount of work ahead of us, specifically on creating quantifiable targets with deadlines for all our goals. This roadmap is based on continuous improvement and learning, mistakes, and a blend of little wins and big actions. 

You can read our full Sustainability Roadmap here.

Impact Strategy 

Our purpose is to elevate thoughtful connections between people, planet, and place, through wine. 

As a luxury good, we believe that the wine industry must lead on sustainability. It is our responsibility to minimise any negative impacts that arise from operating Canned Wine Co. and create positive impact for the planet and people. Our impact strategy therefore prioritises what we can control and what we can influence – responsible sourcing and supply chain design, product design, key partnerships, developing employees and promoting sustainable lifestyles.  

Governance 

Our governance structures underpin how responsibly and ethically we run our business with benefits for all stakeholders. We require robust decision-making and reporting structures, processes, and policies to ensure responsible and kind business practices are upheld, especially as we grow the company and our impact. 

 (Read more on pages 18-21) 

People 

People are integral to fulfilling our purpose and achieving our sustainability ambitions. As a small business, our largest sphere of influence and ability to create positive impact is with people – our team, suppliers (see more in Place), customers, partners, and wider community.  

In line with our purpose, we aim to elevate thoughtful connections between people, planet, and place, through wine. At Canned Wine Co., we want to be conversation starters and be an accessible entry point into discussions – whether that is about female empowerment within our team, the nuances of organic wines with industry peers, or introducing new grape varieties to our customers.  

 (Read more on p.22-30) 

Planet 

There is no time to waste on climate action – the wine industry itself is at risk from climate change. Viticulture thrives in specific climatic niches and even small changes in temperature and precipitation levels can affect the style, quality and quantity of wine produced. All our winemakers have shared with us the climate change impacts they already witness locally – higher temperatures, water stress and earlier harvests with some looking at different varietals from hotter climates.  

Every business should take responsibility for their emissions, no matter the size. At Canned Wine Co. we tried to set up our supply chain with this in mind to reduce our carbon footprint from the start, prioritising bulk shipments of wine within Europe and lightweight packaging (average 750ml bottle weighs around 500g, three 250ml cans weigh 30g in total).  

We are aware that our carbon footprint will grow as we expand our business and brand portfolio over the coming years, so it is crucial that we reduce the carbon intensity of each product, find emission reduction strategies across every part of the business, and optimise how efficiently we use resources.  

As a first step, we have decided to partner with Zevero to measure our Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions with 2022 as a baseline year and use the data to work on emission reduction goals. 

We believe that there are flaws to offsetting emissions and claiming carbon neutrality through offsetting, especially with projects unrelated to the core of our business. We instead commit to working with our winemakers to invest in nature-based solutions in their vineyards to reduce carbon emissions and enhance carbon sinks, save water, and enhance biodiversity. Nature-based solutions are actions that protect, sustainably manage and restore ecosystems with benefits for biodiversity, human well-being, and resilience to climate change impacts.  

 (Read more on p.31-35) 

Place 

At Canned Wine Co., it is important to us to build long-term relationships with our suppliers and clearly understand the impact our supply chain has on a place and its people. While a lot of our focus is on our wine, we know that every raw material comes from a place and we have a responsibility to establish the traceability of our inputs beyond wine, especially for packaging.  

Every place is unique – climate change impacts and what constitutes sustainable land management is site- and climate-specific. We acknowledge that best practices in one region do not always transfer to other regions and the year-on-year seasonal changes that can influence what sustainability looks like for different growers. This is particularly important when appraising organic practices.  

 (Read more on p.36-39)