The study, which took place in five major European markets (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and UK) and the USA, was commissioned by the European aluminium closure manufacturers and suppliers who are members of the EAFA Closures Group, part of the European Aluminium Foil Association (EAFA).
Aluminium closures also scored top when the consumers were asked about their preferences for re-closing a bottle of unfinished wine for later consumption. Four out of ten surveyed confirmed they had poured away wine from a bottle closed with a cork closure which had been tainted or gone bad.
In markets where aluminium closures have a lower market penetration there is less understanding of the convenience offered by them. But even in these countries the majority responding accepted that aluminium closures offer a more convenient option for re-closing than corks or other types of closure. So it is clear consumers need to be offered more choice.
When asked to compare their purchasing intentions of the same bottle of wine with different closures, over one third said they would prefer to buy wine with an aluminium closure and a quarter said the type of closure would not influence their purchase.
At present only 30% of consumers connect easy and complete recyclability with aluminium closures. This supports the industry’s continuing efforts to more proactively promote the advantages of recycling, as already in Europe more than 40% of aluminium closures are recycled.
Finally the survey showed that, amongst younger consumers and particularly females, there is a strong preference for aluminium closures.
As the market penetration grows across Europe and the USA it is expected that the figures in favour of aluminium closures will even grow further. This will increase pressure on the winemakers and retailers to offer greater choice in future.
