Sustainable Innovation in Wine Packaging

ABSTRACT Wine packaging follows traditional norms favoring heavy glass bottles, paper labels, and cork closures. A recent innovation, wine in a can, challenges these perceptions. This paper reports results from three survey‐based studies eliciting consumers' attitudes towards this innovative packaging. First results show that consumers are unaware of the environmental benefits of canned wine and tend to perceive the traditional glass bottle as environmentally superior. Second, consumers' positive attitudes towards canned wine depend on their perception of the product's image. The latter can be improved through information on the environmental performance of this innovation in comparison to the traditional packaging. Third, wine in a can is more likely to be preferred in everyday consumption rather than on special occasions. Finally, younger consumers are more positively predisposed towards wine in a can. Therefore, our results suggest context, product, and consumer‐specific pathways enhancing the acceptance and adoption of this pro‐environmental wine packaging innovation.