Reusing Glass Bottles: Quit 'Wine'-ing and Do It!

Did you know that Americans buy over 300 million cases of wine each year?  The shocking number raises a serious environmental question:  What do we do with all the empty wine bottles?  One start-up, Wine Bottle Renew, is creating a business based on a solution.

According to the Wall Street Journal, "The company wants to revive the practice of washing and refilling used glass wine bottles."  The start-up's Chief Executive, Bruce Stephens, hopes to convince wineries around the country that collaborating will be good for business. "You take a bottle and you empty the bottle, and my God, why would that only be a one-time bottle?" Stephens asked the Wall Street Journal. "We used to wash bottles all the time, whether it was wine bottles, beer bottles or Coke bottles."  Indeed, reusing bottles can cost a company 10% less than purchasing new ones.

Sure, reusing glass bottles may be good for a company's bottom line, but how will it affect the environment?  Wine Bottle Renew asserts that rinsing and reusing a wine bottle releases 95% less carbon than does recycling one.  How's that possible?  The Wall Street Journal reports that recycling the glass containers takes more work because they "must be melted down and re-formed before they enter the market again."

Approximately 150 wineries have already teamed up with Wine Bottle Renew.  Stephens told the Wall Street Journal that his company has cleaned and delivered over a million bottles to wineries nationwide.  Hopefully larger wineries will jump on board soon.  Good for business and eco-friendly?  Sounds like a win-win to me!