[Growwine] From today's Toronto Sun

Sat May 3 16:43:40 EDT 2008

A very good story Larry. This is what I had to say when they first came out with that Idea. If they keep on we will be selling Ontario Wine like we sell milk( 3 in a plastic bag)    Maurice. 

----- Original Message ----
From: Larry Paterson <littlefatwino1 at cogeco.ca>
To: Growwine List <growwine at littlefatwino.com>
Sent: Friday, May 2, 2008 3:46:08 PM
Subject: [Growwine] From today's Toronto Sun

Sent: Friday, May 02, 2008 10:36 AM
Subject: From today's Toronto Sun

LCBO's 'Enviro-Chic' is an enviro-sham

By DAVID MENZIES   
Combining a slick PR strategy along with self-congratulatory radio ads, the LCBO has just wrapped up its "Enviro Chic: The Evolution of Packaging" campaign. 
Hopping aboard the oh-so-fashionable green bandwagon, the state-sanctioned liquor monopoly is positioning itself as an environmental champion after "challenging" its suppliers to reduce packaging. 
But while the LCBO's environmental pronouncements appear bubbly, upon sober second thought, Booze Inc.'s environmental bravado is enough to drive one to drink. 
Essentially, the LCBO's environmental strategy boils down to simple weight reduction given that some suppliers are eschewing glass for aluminum, Tetra Pak and plastic. But doing what's right for the environment entails a more comprehensive approach than merely putting containers on a diet. 
For starters, consider the LCBO's push for wine suppliers to drop glass bottles in favour of Tetra Paks. Undeniably, a Tetra Pak carton is lighter than a glass bottle; however, the recycling rate for Tetra Pak containers is abysmal. According to Waste Diversion Ontario, a minuscule 12.7% of Tetra Pak packaging was recovered in 2005, meaning 87.3% ended up in landfill. And Tetra Paks, like Toronto's garbage, must be shipped to Michigan for processing since there aren't any facilities to recycle Tetra Paks in Ontario. 

As well, the Toronto Environmental Alliance -- which refers to the LCBO's "Enviro Chic" initiative as "Enviro Sham" -- notes Tetra Paks are derived from virgin pulp and aluminum. As such, the manufacture of Tetra Pak containers requires excessive energy consumption and needlessly depletes natural resources. 
By comparison, TEA notes almost 100% of all refillable glass bottles are recovered. 
"Looking simply at the weight of the packaging ignores all the other environmental damage done by single use containers," says TEA's Franz Hartmann. 
FOREIGN PLONK 
Misleading environmental claims aside, there's an even more insidious reason why the LCBO is embracing "alternative packaging." Tetra Paks typically contain foreign plonk such as French Rabbit (not even sold in France). The reason: The LCBO prefers foreign wine over the domestic product as it perceives Ontario vintners as a competitive threat due to their on-site wine stores. 
This is the unspoken reason why Ontario wines are treated as second-class citizens at LCBO stores. According to the Wine Council of Ontario, Ontario wines can account for up to 30% of total LCBO wine sales. Yet, many LCBO stores give Ontario wines as little as 14% shelf space. Since the LCBO is always under pressure to return more dividends to the province, the liquor board isn't keen on seeing the domestic industry succeed. Indeed, regulations actually prohibit Ontario VQA wines from being sold in Tetra Pak containers. 
Meanwhile, the best environmental stewardship project launched in Ontario in recent memory is Bag It Back, the deposit/return scheme designed to divert spent wine and liquor containers from the blue box system. How curious the LCBO wanted nothing to do with Bag It Back; in fact, the liquor monopoly tried to kill the initiative. 
Indeed, you may be wondering why liquor and wine bottles purchased at LCBO stores must be returned to The Beer Store chain. Alas, the back story behind Bag It Back makes for fascinating reading. Essentially, in a last-ditch attempt to torpedo the deposit/return scheme, the LCBO informed its ministerial masters its stores weren't equipped to handle empties. The LCBO's spin doctors gambled this falsehood would kill the program outright. They were dead wrong. 
Instead, the province enlisted the brewers to run the program. If anything, the LCBO forfeited a golden marketing opportunity. The liquor board could have taken environmentalism upscale by positioning itself as a true environmental champion. Instead, The Beer Store now receives those accolades. 
PLAN B 
Apparently desperate for an environmental win, the LCBO has switched to Plan B: Namely, focus on packaging weight. 
What does the LCBO have to say in defence of its Enviro Sham -- er -- Chic campaign? Not much. Lyle Clark, the LCBO's environmental affairs specialist who solicits environmental feedback via the LCBO's website, refused to comment. 
Bottom line: As domestic wine producers continue to get the shaft at the LCBO -- and after missing the boat on Bag It Back -- the LCBO continues to champion bogus environmental initiatives all in an effort to make it seem as though it's doing something proactive. 
Your tax dollars hard at work yet again, folks

No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG.
Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 269.23.7/1411 - Release Date: 02/05/2008 8:02 AM

      ____________________________________________________________________________________
Be a better friend, newshound, and 
know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile.  Try it now.  http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.littlefatwino.com/pipermail/growwine/attachments/20080503/860d3d12/attachment.html