The drinks industry has always been about experience, craft and connection. In 2025 and beyond, that connection will be measured as much by a bottle’s footprint as by what’s inside.
A recent webinar, held in conjunction with the Drinks Association Sustainability Council and hosted by Nevil Shah from Australian Liquor Marketers, shifted the dial on sustainable packaging in the drinks industry. Sector leaders Shae Courtney from Coles Liquor and Nerida Kelton, Executive Director of the Australasian Institute of Packaging (AIP) and Vice President of Sustainability & Save Food for the World Packaging Organisation (WPO), kicked off the session.
Coles Group
As National Quality and Sustainability Manager at Coles Liquor, Courtney shared Coles Group’s three-pillar sustainability strategy: Climate, Nature and Circularity.
A highlight for Coles Liquor is the initiative of removing aluminium hoods from sparkling wine bottles. While this may sound like a small change, it will save nearly 4,000 kg of material annually.
Additionally, by the end of FY25, Coles Liquor will have achieved 98.7% of its Own Brand packaging being recyclable, reusable or compostable.
Australasian Institute of Packaging Cheat Sheet
Nerida Kelton’s presentation really hit home.
She opened with “If your packaging team isn’t embedding the 10 Principles for Sustainable Packaging Design (the Sustainable Packaging Guidelines, SPG) now, you’ll be scrambling when the new regulations hit.”
Kelton also reminded the audience that labels, adhesives and secondary packaging are often the hidden compliance killers. A key takeaway for the liquor group.
The new storytellers
Dharshi Hasthanayake, Sustainability Manager at GS1 Australia, shared common challenges brands face when managing on-pack information, while dealing with limited space and minimalistic design requirements.
Hasthanayake showcased Next Gen QR Codes by GS1, the ‘new storytellers’ in the marketplace, and how they are helping to solving some of the major problems for liquor brands, including:
- Enabling consumers to easily access and explore brand sustainability credentials without label overload
- Supporting supply chain serialisation (tracking every individual bottle) and recall automation
- Ensuring the same QR Code will scan at point of sale in the future
Peter Davenport, also from GS1, backed Hasthanayake’s message remarking, “Next Gen Barcodes are a powerful tool, not only to meet compliance but to turn compliance into customer engagement.”
Commercial lens
For many in the drinks sector, sustainability talk may feel like cost and compliance rather than revenue. However, as Courtney previously demonstrated in discussions with the Drinks Association, “Critically, sustainability should be baked into the culture of a company as business-as-usual.”
Courtney also added, “Premium isn’t always viable, so smart design choices such as lightweighting bottles or reducing unnecessary packaging, delivered at scale, can offer measurable impact, while also positively influencing customer proposition and cost.”
The drinks industry is ripe with innovation and well placed to invest in partnerships that help meet sustainability objectives while embedding a sustainability culture as a driver of resilience within business.
The final word
Sustainability in the drinks industry isn’t about chasing trends; it’s about anticipating certainties and seizing opportunities. From removing polylaminate hoods on Coles Liquor Own Brand wine bottles to Next Gen QR Codes providing enhanced transparency, the innovations showcased at the GS1 x Drinks Association webinar aren't future visions, they are already in play.
Shah closed the webinar with a sharp reminder, “If your sustainability claim can’t withstand an audit, it’s a liability, not an asset.”
Key takeaways
The team at GS1 Australia is ready to assist you in exploring Next Gen QR Codes and how they can shift the dial on sustainability for your brand.
Contact GS1 Australia.
GS1 Australia is a Platinum Partner of the Drinks Association.