Wine in Eco-Friendly Tetra Packaging by French Rabbit

After posting the innovative wine bottles by Voga, I realized that I need to make sure I also report the innovative packaging by French Rabbit, a new label which has defined itself by packaging wine in Tetra Packs. As French Rabbit puts it, they offer “Quality French Wine in a state of the art package.”

I am even more enthusiastic about French Rabbit as the packaging is more eco-friendly and innovative. 

The French Rabbit website defines it best when they show the history of wine packaging: Animal Skin 3000BC, Clay Pots 400 BC, Caskets 100 AD, Bottles 1700AD, and now… Tetra Packs! In addition to being well designed, French Rabbit has been getting great reviews for its price range.  So, save the planet and enjoy fine wine while doing it.

From the LCBO Site:

The Next French Revolution. The first vintage wine in a Tetra Pak container.
The LCBO is proud to be the retailer chosen for the global launch of French Rabbit. This superior wine and state-of-the-art packaging is the perfect blend of Old World quality and New World thinking. The Boisset Winery in France has been making quality wine for two generations. Their French Rabbit Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon varietals are now available exclusively at the LCBO in this revolutionary, environmentally friendly container.

A Big Leap Forward. 90% less packaging.
This new container reduces packaging waste about 90% over bottled wine and costs much less to recycle than coloured glass. Also, it would take over 25 trucks filled with bottles to equal just one truck filled with empty Tetra Pak containers – just imagine the reduction in fuel and CO2 emissions.

Rabbits Multiply. Two extra glasses of wine.
With French Rabbit, only 4% of what you’re bringing home is packaging (vs about 40% for bottled wine.) There’s no glass, no cork, no label, no adhesive – just the wonderful wine and the pack. That’s why the LCBO can offer a 1L Tetra Pak containers for $12.95, the same price as a 750 mL bottle – that gives you about 2 extra glasses of wine.

Savour the wine. Save the planet.
50¢ from the sale of each French Rabbit Tetra Pak container will go to the LCBO’s Natural Heritage Fund, which will be used to create habitat for wildlife throughout Ontario.

Here’s the press release:

TORONTO, Aug. 11 /CNW/ - The LCBO showcased a new line of French rabbit
wines today, custom-designed for the Ontario market, following the LCBO’s
invitation to vintners from around the world to offer wines in innovative,
environmentally-friendly packaging.
LCBO held a joint news conference with French wine maker Boisset, the
first vintner to respond to LCBO President and COO Bob Peter’s challenge to
global winemakers. The French rabbit line will eventually be offered
worldwide, but is being launched in Ontario. Three new wines-Merlot, Cabernet
Sauvignon and Chardonnay-are now on sale at the LCBO in colourful recyclable
Tetra Pak containers, which use 90 per cent less packaging than wine bottles.
“With the support of suppliers, our goal is to promote innovative ways to
reduce packaging, which will allow the LCBO to offer premium products at
attractive prices, while benefiting the environment,” Peter said.
The French rabbit wines retail for $12.95 for a one litre container-which
holds about two glasses more than the traditional 750 mL bottle at the same
price.
Alternative packaging for premium wines has proved popular in other
countries, including Australia, Argentina, Sweden, Spain and Italy, according
to Peter, who thinks Ontario consumers are ready to embrace the trend. “The
LCBO customer is adventurous, environmentally-conscious, engaged with wine and
willing to discover that quality wines come in environmentally-friendly
packages,” he added.
Boisset America President Jean-Charles Boisset agrees: “Ontario is a
sophisticated market that understands and appreciates wine. We chose to launch
our global campaign for French rabbit here, because we believe LCBO customers
will appreciate packaging which has an outstanding ability to protect the
quality and flavour of our wine,” he said.
Corby Distilleries Limited represents Boisset in Ontario. Corby Executive
Vice-President of National Sales Andy Alexander said, “French rabbit is
leading the way in wine innovation, bringing the concept of great wine in a
great package to the Ontario market and providing new options for consumers.”
Tetra Pak Canada Inc. President Evelyn Watson said 1.6 billion litres of
wine were packaged in Tetra cartons around the world last year.
“The trend is for more premium wines to be packaged in Tetra Pak
containers-lightweight, recyclable, and proven to preserve the flavour of
wine,” she said.
Tetra Pak containers use 90 per cent less packaging than glass wine
bottles. They also take up less space during transportation, which helps
conserve fuel. Tetra cartons require one third less cargo space than the same
volume of wine in bottles.
The containers are also recyclable and can be collected as part of the
Blue Box municipal recycling program, which the LCBO helps to support
(contributing $30 million to date).
“This is the beginning of a new trend in Ontario that will benefit
consumers, winemakers, and the environment,” said LCBO Chair and CEO Andrew
Brandt. “French rabbit is the first of several wines in Tetra containers LCBO
will be offering this year.
“Tetra Pak containers make these wines an ideal choice for summer
barbecues and cottage entertaining, but I also believe the versatile packaging
will make them a new year-round option for LCBO customers,” Brandt said. He
said the unbreakable containers are ideal for entertaining, featuring
lightweight packaging with re-sealable caps that keep opened wines fresh
longer.
To highlight the positive environmental aspects of its product, Boisset
is contributing 50 cents from each French rabbit sale to the LCBO’s Natural
Heritage Fund, which goes to create and rehabilitate wildlife habitats
throughout Ontario. Boisset will make a minimum $160,000 contribution to the
Fund. The LCBO has also earmarked 50 cents from each Envirobag sold in its
stores to help the Fund.

BACKGROUNDER

French rabbit

LCBO has asked its suppliers to produce products in alternative,
environmentally-friendly packaging; the result is the first vintage wine in a
Tetra Pak container in Ontario.

- French rabbit is making its world debut in Ontario, prior to a global
launch. LCBO customers are often “early adopters” of important new
global trends in the beverage alcohol industry.

- LCBO customers are sophisticated and knowledgeable wine consumers who
recognize quality and value for money.

- Boisset proposed French rabbit after a meeting with Bob Peter, LCBO
President and COO, who emphasized the LCBO’s environmental
objectives, particularly its goal to reduce the amount of glass waste
suppliers generate.

- Boisset was the first supplier to respond to the challenge. Other
suppliers offering products in Tetra Pak containers will be announced
in the coming weeks.

- Available since July 28, 2005 in select LCBO stores, French rabbit is
proving popular with Ontario consumers: More than half a year’s sales
target was achieved during the first two weeks on the shelves.

- Boisset has priced its three varietals competitively and the wines
received excellent reviews from an LCBO tasting panel of four LCBO
product consultants and an LCBO Quality Assurance expert.

- It will be offered initially in three varietals from the Languedoc
Roussillon region -Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot (reds) and
Chardonnay (white) - in one-litre Tetra Pak containers.

- A number of 750 mL bottles of French rabbit will be available for a
limited time in participating LCBO stores to enable customers to
compare the value in the one-litre format. The one-litre Tetra Pak
has two extra glasses of wine for the same $12.95 price as the 750 mL
bottle.

- Non-traditional containers have been well received in other wine-
producing countries. More than half the wine sold in Australia is
sold in a box.

- Consumers in countries as diverse as Sweden, Chile and Australia are
embracing the trend. In the United States, as in Canada, the concept
is quite new, but it is being embraced quite quickly, with a growth
rate of more than 30 per cent in sales of wines in non-bottle
packaging in the past year (Source: Business Week, July 11, 2005).

Marketing: “One Smart Rabbit”. “Savour the wine. Save the planet.”

- Boisset has worked closely with the LCBO to develop a joint marketing
strategy to promote consumer interest in the new wines and to
highlight the environmental benefits of Tetra Pak containers.

- Marketing plans include supplier-sponsored newspaper inserts, radio
commercials, a consumer booklet, in-store displays and tastings, an
AIR MILES Rewards e-mail and bonus AIR MILES.

- Wines with playful and non-traditional names-such as French rabbit-
are increasingly popular in Ontario and around the world, as
producers strive to make their wines more memorable and approachable.

Consumer Advantages of Tetra Pak containers

- Exposure to light can damage wine, which is why many wines are sold
in dark green or brown bottles. Tetra Pak cartons are impervious to
ultra-violet light and provide 100 per cent protection.

- Tetra Pak cartons are produced under ISO 14,001 and EMS environmental
certifications.

- A screw cap and collapsible packaging allows air to be squeezed out
and the carton easily resealed. This helps preserve the wine for a
few days after opening, and eliminates the possibility of “cork
taint”, which can ruin the taste and smell of wine sold in glass
bottles sealed with a natural cork.

- Tetra Pak cartons are lightweight, easy to carry and are
shatterproof, making them ideal for outdoor entertaining.

- Lower processing and transportation costs allow suppliers to offer
superior value.

Environmentally-friendly

- Tetra Pak cartons reduce packaging by 90 per cent in comparison to
typical glass wine bottles. “Reduce” is the highest priority of the
environmental 3 Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle). The LCBO anticipates
that sales of French rabbit alone will reduce packaging by 400,000
kilograms per year. LCBO’s goal is to reduce package waste by
10 million kilograms per year as other products become available in
innovative packaging.

- It takes 26 trucks to deliver the same number of empty glass bottles
to a bottling plant as one truck containing Tetra Pak cartons. Filled
containers take up one third less cargo space.

- Wine in a Tetra Pak carton has less packaging than an egg. (A French
rabbit carton weighs only four per cent of the total weight. An
eggshell weighs seven per cent of the total weight of an egg.)

- Tetra Pak cartons are lightweight and compact, which saves storage
space and energy used in shipping. Empty Tetra Pak cartons are
shipped to the customer on rolls of almost 20,000 units each. It
takes only two semi-trailers to carry one million unfilled cartons,
compared to approximately 52 trailers to transport one million
cylindrical metal or glass containers.

- All Tetra Pak packages are recyclable. The recycling method used is
called repulping. This takes place at a paper mill. The cartons are
an excellent source of high-quality paper fibre for recycling. The
fibres are long, strong and bright white, enabling them to be used
for a variety of recycled end products.

- In Canada, the cartons are recycled into household tissue products
such as paper towels, napkins and bathroom tissue.