Why we should be talking about circularity, not just sustainability
Marta Juega, co-founder of PI Concept shares her thoughts on why circularity is the key to a more sustainable wine industry.
As the wine industry makes strides in reducing its carbon footprint, it’s worth asking: what happens once we’ve achieved our CO2 targets? Where do we go from there, what might new legislation bring and what will be required by our customers? The truth is that focusing solely on carbon targets isn’t enough. We need to look beyond sustainability and embrace circularity to truly address the challenges we face.
Circularity vs. Sustainability: Why it matters
The concepts of circularity and sustainability are often used interchangeably, but they represent distinct approaches. While sustainability is about meeting our current needs without compromising future generations, circularity challenges us to rethink how we produce, use, and dispose of products. It’s about creating a closed-loop system where waste is minimised and resources are continuously reused, moving away from the traditional “take, make, dispose” model.
In the context of sustainability, efforts are typically focused on reducing environmental impact, particularly through the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the use of renewable resources. However, even with all these measures in place, we’re only addressing part of the problem. The other half of our environmental impact comes from the way we produce and consume goods—a challenge that requires a fundamental shift in our economic models.
Why circularity is essential for the wine industry
The wine industry, like many others, faces significant challenges due to climate change. These challenges are not just environmental but also economic and social, affecting the competitiveness of individual wineries and the industry as a whole. The root of the problem lies not in nature but in the business models we’ve built, which need to evolve.
While sustainability practices, such as efficient water and energy use, soil health management, and biodiversity conservation, are vital, they are just the first steps. To make a lasting positive impact, wineries need to adopt circular practices that go beyond reducing harm to actually regenerating the environment.
Applying circularity in winemaking
Circularity in winemaking involves creating systems where waste is minimized, and resources are reused in a continuous loop. Here are some ways wineries can implement circular practices:
- Waste reduction and resource recovery: Reuse materials like glass bottles, corks, and wood barrels. Convert by-products such as grape skins and stems into valuable resources like compost or bioenergy.
- Product lifecycle management: Design durable products and packaging that can be reused, adapted, or effectively recycled.
- Efficient resource use: Improve water and energy efficiency, adopt renewable energy sources, and use fewer raw materials with a lower environmental impact.
- Innovative practices: Incorporate eco-design principles and collaborate with other industries to repurpose by-products.
By integrating circularity into their operations, wineries can build more resilient and responsible businesses. For example, a winery could not only reduce water usage (a sustainability goal) but also recycle wastewater for irrigation (a circularity goal). This combination of sustainability and circularity makes for a more comprehensive and effective approach to tackling climate change.
Circularity: The next evolution of sustainability
Circularity represents the next step in the evolution of sustainability. While sustainability focuses on maintaining healthy environmental, social, and economic systems, circularity drives the internal transformation of business models necessary to address climate change comprehensively. It’s time for the wine industry to move beyond sustainability and embrace circularity as the key to long-term resilience and success.
Marta Juega, co-founder of PI Concept. You will find PI Concept in the advisory section of SID and where you can talk to them about their online circularity solution that can create a bespoke strategy for your winery.
