Perceptions and preferences of U.S. wine consumers: Glass vs. alternative packaging

Sustainability efforts are gaining prominence in the over $300 billion U.S. grape and wine industry. Wine packaging can account for up to a third of the total carbon footprint associated with wine production, primarily due to the use of glass bottles for packaging. A discrete choice experiment was conducted with 2000 U.S. wine consumers to explore perceptions of alternative packaging materials for wine. The study assessed the price premiums or discounts associated with aluminum, polyethylene terephthalate (PET)/plastic, and flexible packaging compared to traditional 750 ml glass bottles. Information on carbon footprint and ease of recycling was provided to respondents in different contexts to evaluate its influence on consumer preferences. Relative discounts ranged from 19.30% to 26.16% for aluminum, 31.09% to 36.92% for PET, and 38.13% to 54.29% for flexible bags compared to traditional glass bottles. Alternative packaging achieved the lowest market share without information on carbon footprint and recyclability (27.22%), and the highest when carbon footprint information was provided (34.40%). However, market shares fluctuated by generation and by information groups (glass packaging 52.66% to 73.18%, aluminum 6.52% to 29.26%, PET 3.97% to 14.04%, “none of these options” 1.90% to 9.93%, and flexible bags 0.97% to 9.94%). While consumers in this study preferred glass bottles, aluminum was consistently favored over PET and flexible bags as alternative packaging materials. These findings suggest that educating consumers about the environmental benefits of alternative packaging could increase the adoption of alternative packaging for wine, supporting the industry's transition toward more sustainable practices.