Wine producer Accolade has cemented itself as a leader in packaging made from recycled materials with the launch of Wise Wolf by Banrock Station, designed by Denomination.
The new wine brand comes in a 100 per cent post-consumer recycled glass cullet, with labels that are made from 100 per cent recycled paper and closures made from 100 per cent recycled plastic. The total pack is made from 95.1 per cent recycled content and can be recycled again.
Accolade global innovation director Nancy Baghdadi said as protecting the environment is increasingly at the forefront of many people’s minds, the need for sustainable packaging has become more pressing.
“Accolade is constantly searching for new and better ways of doing things and committed to driving positive environmental change. We wanted Wise Wolf by Banrock Station, to be bold and brave about paving the way forward in the wine industry. We’re on a journey with alternate pack solutions that reduce waste and use as much recycled content as possible” she said.
“In creating Wise Wolf, we used the reintroduction of wolves into Yellowstone Park as a case study,” Denomination CEO Rowena Curlewis said.
“The restoration of this important species has created a more balanced and healthy eco-system in the US national park, helping flora and fauna flourish, and was perfect inspiration. Here, the wolf represents a return to nature by leading the way, just as Wise Wolf is at the apex of a movement to reduce the environmental impact of wine packaging.”
Using natural, mossy, earthy textures and colours found in the wild, the colour palette also reflects that idea of a return to nature, while the scratched texture on the bottle’s surface communicates the brand’s environmental credentials and link back to the wolf’s fur.
A round label shape was chosen to not only stand out but also to communicate the environmental credentials by echoing the circular motion of recycling, as well as the circle of life.
The unusual shape of the bottle – chosen from the Wildly Crafted Range at Estal – is also used to attract attention, yet it still has the tapered wine bottle shape to give it a sense of familiarity.
Transparency is central to the brand’s ethos, and so a QR code is available on each label linking to a website that gives more information on the environmental credentials of each component of the packaging.
“Sustainability is central to our business. We wanted to show that Accolade are leaders of the pack in the wine market, making sure Wise Wolf could act as a catalyst for others to also create better, greener solutions for wine packaging,” Curlewis said.
“By influencing brands to put sustainability at the forefront of their decision-making, Denomination can help reduce the impact that our brands’ packaging has on the earth. We want more and more brands to choose sustainable solutions, so jointly we can all make a difference to this wonderful world we live in.”
Baghdadi added that Denomination has an uncompromising dedication to sustainability and a passion for beautiful designs, so were the perfect choice for Wise Wolf.
“They constantly challenged us to maximise the amount of recycled content, without ever compromising on the design, and their vast knowledge and strong contacts with suppliers was invaluable. What they have helped create demonstrates that we can use the maximum amount of recycled material and deliver a quality range of wine to consumers,” she mentioned.
