Challenge! How many returnable bottles can you collect?

current situation

As of January 1st - February 15th, 2021

Number in circulation: 295 Number recalled: 12

　

[Individual delivery and collection of returnable products by electric bike]

What are returnable bottles?

Returnable bottles are glass bottles that can be used multiple times by returning, washing, and refilling them. Compared to one-way bottles that are used only once , their environmental impact, converted into CO2 emissions, is about half. Beer bottles, milk bottles, etc. have been reused for a long time, but due to the diversification of containers and beverages, and the change from bulk purchases to individual purchases at stores, the amount of bottles in circulation has decreased to less than half in the 15 years from 2004 to 2019. Meanwhile, the recycling rate of glass bottles has remained at around 70 % for the past 10 years, but has been on a downward trend since 2016 , and new actions may be required in order to achieve a sustainable society.

Wine accounts for only about 4 % of all alcoholic beverages distributed in Japan, but wine manufacturers, who bottle most of their products in glass, believe that reducing the environmental impact by using returnable bottles is an important responsibility.

○ What Yokohama Winery can do

Yokohama City has a population of over 3.7 million people and is loved by its citizens. Yokohama Winery was born from the desire to let people experience winemaking and drink wine in the middle of their lives.

In order for returnable bottles to reduce the environmental impact, it is necessary to ensure a certain collection rate and to shorten the transportation distance as much as possible. Winemaking at Yokohama Winery, where production and consumption are in the same city of Yokohama, meets all the conditions for reducing the environmental impact. Furthermore, Yokohama City was selected by the national government as an SDGs Future City in 2018 , and is aiming to simultaneously solve environmental, economic, and social issues, and momentum is building towards a circular society.

For this reason, Yokohama Winery has chosen to deliver and collect directly and reliably to consumers who live nearby. Furthermore, by using electric bikes, CO2 emissions during driving are reduced by 40 to 50 %, enabling work to be done without exhaust fumes or noise even in residential areas.

　

*This action is supported by the Yokohama City SDGs Biz Support Subsidy .