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As millions of Champagne bottles go ‘pop, fizz’, Sainsbury’s commits to environmentally responsible natural corks

Sainsbury

1 January 2010

Champagne bottles will be popping all over the UK this week as millions of Brits celebrate the arrival of the New Year. To help ensure the country can continue to enjoy that familiar "pop, fizz" sound while doing their bit for the environment, Sainsbury's has today announced that it is to become the first retailer to make all of its corks FSC certified.
Natural cork is used for a wide variety of wines, spirits and
beers, alongside synthetic closures and screw caps. Sainsbury's is
committed to ensuring that all the cork it uses, comes from some of
the most sustainably managed forests in the world. This will make
Sainsbury's the largest user of FSC certified cork in the
world.
One of the first wines to be bottled with the new cork will be
Sainsbury's award-winning Blanc du Noirs Champagne, which has been
selling at a rate of almost 10,000 bottles per week in the run up
to Christmas celebrations.
All FSC certified corks are stamped with the FSC logo so
customers know that the cork comes from well managed forests.
Sainsbury's wine maker, Barry Dick, said: "The
type of closure we use is based on a number of factors including
quality, style and appellation laws which stipulate the type of
closure that best suits each individual wine. Where we use cork, it
is important to us to make sure that the harvesting of that cork
makes a positive contribution to the wildlife in the area, while at
the same time managing traceability, consistency and quality to
ensure our wines taste their best.
"Our shift to FSC certified corks will make a huge difference,
particularly when you consider that we sell over 6m bottles sealed
with cork closures every year. We're aiming to bottle all 6m using
FSC certified cork by the end of 2010, and we're starting straight
away by producing the first bottle at the end of January."
The Mediterranean cork oak forests are home to a number of
endangered species including the Iberian lynx, Europe's last wild,
big cat, of which there are fewer than 100 remaining. They are also
home to the Iberian imperial eagle of which only 150 breeding pairs
remain. FSC certification ensures that the forest habitats of these
animals will be managed to guarantee the long term protection of
these and many other species.
Cork oak trees are unique in their ability to regenerate after
their bark has been harvested. This means that cork forests
undergo fewer disturbances than conventional commercial forests,
creating a unique and valuable eco-system. FSC certification
is the best way to protect this environment for the long term
benefit of communities living and working in these regions, as well
as wildlife.
In order to gain certification, cork producers have to ensure
that they have minimal impact on biodiversity in the area, while
also ensuring that harvesting practice is fully sustainable.
Julia Young, Manager of WWF's Global Forest and Trade
Network (GFTN) in the UK said: "The fragile, other-worldly
cork oak forests are part of the unique natural heritage of
the Mediterranean; a valuable and threatened forest region right on
our doorstep. WWF wants to thank Sainsbury's for its excellent
commitment to the use of FSC certified corks, helping maintain the
sustainability of cork oak forest landscapes by supporting vital
livelihoods and habitats. Leadership like this sets the bar for UK
retailers, as Sainsbury's achieve a first going into the New Year,
and an iconic forest habitat faces a more secure future."
Charles Thwaites, Executive Director of FSC UK,
said: "FSC congratulates Sainsbury's for going that extra
mile in seeking to source so many of its timber-based products from
responsibly managed forests. We tend to associate trees with
everyday goods such as timber, paper and tissues. But supporting
the cork industry so that cork-oak forests continue to thrive is
vital to the local ecology, especially in the Iberian
Peninsular. We hope Sainsbury's example will tempt other
companies to make similar commitments and together we will preserve
these precious landscapes and habitats."
Victor Ribeiro, Amorim's Stopper Unit CEO,
commented: "The UK wine trade makes a vital contribution
to the maintenance of this unique triple bottom-line balance
between environmental, social and economic issues. Because 70% of
the value-added created for natural cork comes from its wine and
champagne stopper application, the kind of leadership demonstrated
by Sainsbury's goes a long way to help support a more sustainable
trade."