Exploring UK consumer perceptions and willingness to adopt alternative wine packaging

Glass bottles are the dominant packaging format in the global wine industry yet are consistently recognised as a significant environmental burden due to their energy intensive production and contribution to transport emissions. Using alternative packaging mediums can significantly decrease the environmental impacts associated with wine packaging. Despite environmental advantages, consumer acceptance remains low. This study explores the attitudes of a UK sample towards alternative wine packaging. Despite the UK's status as one of the largest global wine-importing nations, its consumer base remains underexplored. An online survey targeting UK-based wine consumers (n = 153) assessed willingness to adopt alternative packaging and explored key factors influencing acceptance. Analyses identified four significant predictors of willingness: sustainability and price ratings increased likelihood of acceptance, while male gender and supermarket users were associated with resistance. Cluster analysis found willing participants were driven by environmental concern and price sensitivity. Amongst unwilling respondents, resistance varied between strong traditional preferences and unfamiliarity with alternatives. Re-evaluation prompts found 36.2–46.8% of resistant participants were open to reconsidering their stance under certain conditions, particularly lower environmental impact and cost. Results show 69.3% of respondents in this UK sample are willing to purchase wine in alternative packaging in stark contrast to results produced in wine producing regions. Findings suggest that the wine culture among this UK sample is less deeply embedded in traditional and cultural aspects of wine consumption, positioning it more favourably for the adoption of alternative packaging.