Re:Boxed – Wines from Alentejo transform label tape into shipping boxes
Initiative in partnership with Partícula Verde was presented in London
A pioneering project involving the entire region transforms industrial waste and prevents hundreds of tons of resources from going to landfill.
The Alentejo Regional Wine Commission (CVRA) takes another step towards sustainability in the wine sector with the launch of a wine shipping box, called Re:Boxed, made from recycled label tape, a material that until now had no useful purpose. Developed in partnership with the company Partícula Verde, the project, a world first, was presented to an international audience at Sustainability In Drinks (SID) in London and represents a practical and measurable circular economy solution.
The new packaging is created through an innovative process that transforms the silicone paper used in labels into raw material for the paper industry, preventing tons of waste from ending up in landfills or being burned. Since the beginning of the year, this Vinhos do Alentejo project has saved 14 tons of label tape from being discarded. CVRA’s goal is to provide Alentejo producers with an exclusive packaging option for national and international shipping for online sales, wine tourism, or wine competitions.
“To give you a better idea of the impact of this initiative, if we extend the adhesive tape used on Alentejo wine labels, last year alone, it would reach a length of 20,000 kilometres, equivalent to the distance between Alentejo and New Zealand. Until now, this material was often landfilled or incinerated, but through this process, it is transformed into packaging, generating value and promoting a true circular economy,” explains João Barroso, Director of Sustainable Development and R&D at Vinhos do Alentejo.
The project is part of the Alentejo Wine Sustainability Program (PSVA), which has placed the region at the forefront of sustainable wine production in Portugal and worldwide since 2015. Currently, the PSVA has over 700 members, representing approximately 63% of Alentejo’s vineyard area, and 27 producers certified with an internationally recognized sustainable production seal.
The launch of the sustainable box meets a need already identified by the CVRA, which now finds in Partícula Verde the ideal partner to promote yet another circular practice. This initiative reinforces the sustainability banner of Alentejo Wines and positions the region internationally as a leading example of resilience in the face of climate challenges.
The Alentejo Regional Wine Commission (CVRA) was created in 1989 and is responsible for protecting and defending the Alentejo DOC and the Alentejo Geographical Indication, certifying and controlling origin and quality, and promoting and fostering sustainability. Adhering to high standards of rigour, transparency, and impartiality, CVRA is an ISO/IEC 17065:2014-accredited certification body, with its physical-chemical and sensory analysis laboratories accredited by ISO/IEC 17025:2018. Furthermore, it is ISO 14001:2015-accredited, thanks to CVRA’s strong environmental commitment.
Alentejo is the national leader in certified wines, accounting for approximately 40% of total sales value across 14 wine-growing regions in Portugal. With a vineyard area of 23,300 hectares, 30% of its production is exported to five main destinations: Brazil, Switzerland, the USA, the United Kingdom, and Poland.
One of only two regions in the world that has produced Talha Wine for over two thousand years, Alentejo also boasts a pioneering initiative, the “Alentejo Wine Sustainability Program,” which aims to improve practices used in vineyards and wineries, producing quality, economically viable grapes and wine.
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