If you’ve been following our (many) LinkedIn updates over the past few months, you’ll know Canned Wine Group just wrapped up the first year of our three-year partnership with London Wine Fair.
Not only is this a valuable way for us to showcase our brands, but it is also a chance for us to credibly communicate our sustainability efforts within the trade setting. This year’s fair had the first official Sustainability Partner with Impact Focus in which they created a dedicated sustainable trail which guided visitors through an array of innovations, one in which our brands were marked as a pillar for.
This long-term partnership enables us to make continuous improvements, as we work to embed sustainability into every aspect of our event operations. This year also gives us a chance to reflect on our progress and set even more ambitious goals for the future of how best we can be more sustainable at events.
This sustainable sips blog is here to give a little peek into what went on in the background of planning and how we put our sustainability values into practice.
Sustainability at our stand
Our stand is the main hub for us at London Wine Fair and it allows us to showcase our products to potential customers, investors, agencies and press. This year was a particular highlight with us debuting The Copper Crew & Canned Wine Co. brands under the Canned Wine Group portfolio.
The Canned Wine Co. stand remained unchanged from last year. While this means we’re not building unnecessary brand assets, it also helps strengthen our brand identity through consistent, recognisable design year after year.
Our The Copper Crew stand, however, required a more considered approach. As our first flagship stand of this scale, it called for thoughtful planning. We chose to repurpose one of our existing Canned Wine Co. bars, refreshing it with a brighter colour palette to reflect The Copper Crew’s vibrant personality. We also reused existing furniture and rented out plants that you can see in the stand imagery below, making this a more environmentally conscious setup than creating something entirely new.
Our bars are built, set up, and stored by Positive Experience, a certified B Corp leading the way in sustainable event solutions. Their commitment to sustainability includes environmental audits, carbon-neutral event strategies, and the use of eco-conscious materials. Partnering with like-minded organisations that share our values makes for a natural and rewarding collaboration.
We’re especially excited to continue working with Positive Experience next year, as they are developing a post-event sustainability report. This tool will provide insights into our actual environmental footprint- from venue energy usage to transport emissions – calculating Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions. This will enable us to better understand our impact and inform improvements for the future.
Incorporating the Butterfly Mark
Positive Luxury supports luxury brands in redefining their business models for a sustainable future through its comprehensive ESG+ assessment. After completing their accelerator programme and achieving certification in March 2024, proudly incorporating the Butterfly Mark into our stand this year was a key highlight.
We were thrilled to be joined at the event by Charlotte Astle from Positive Luxury, who was on hand to share deeper insights into the certification process and connect with other brands that could benefit from this journey.
Positive Luxury continues to play a crucial role in helping luxury businesses elevate their sustainability credentials, and we’re proud to support the growth of this community – encouraging more brands to take meaningful steps towards a more responsible and sustainable future.
Linking panels to sustainability beyond carbon
Sustainability isn’t just about the environment. A true sustainable approach must consider social sustainability, from cultural diversity and community engagement to empowerment and wellbeing to build a better future.
Culture is shaped by people and it is important for business leaders to ensure that they are empowering colleagues. At Canned Wine Group we care deeply about our team – we have a mental health first aider, unlimited holiday, team volunteering days and added diversity and inclusion statements to all job descriptions to encourage diverse applications, to name a few initiatives.
This year, we were proud to collaborate for the first time with The Burnt Chef Project, whose mission is to eradicate mental health stigma within the hospitality industry. As part of this partnership, we hosted a panel discussion focused on how businesses can support talent development while prioritising mental health.
We were joined by:
- Kris Hall, Founder of The Burnt Chef Project
- Nicky Burston, CEO of The Drinks Trust
- Paul Laurie, also known as Essex Wine Man
Together, we explored how the hospitality industry can foster more supportive, people-focused cultures and drive meaningful change. A key theme of the panel discussion was the critical role senior leadership plays in setting the tone—leading by example and embodying positive values. Equally important, however, is the availability of external support systems. Initiatives like The Burnt Chef Project offer valuable resources that can help businesses build healthier, more resilient teams.
The conversation also highlighted how rapidly the concept of support is evolving. With shifting policies, attitudes, and workplace cultures, it’s essential for senior leaders to stay informed and adaptable. Doing so not only helps address current challenges but also ensures that hospitality remains an attractive and sustainable career path.
Sourcing merchandise
We are both B Corp and Butterfly Mark Certified which means we hold ourselves accountable for making sustainable purchasing decisions across every area of the business.
First impressions matter, especially at trade shows, so looking the part is key. With two very distinct brands under the Canned Wine Group umbrella, a single uniform wouldn’t align with our identity. Instead we opted to create brand-specific t-shirts for team members, designed to be worn at future events as well.
For sourcing our new Copper Crew t-shirts, we used Merchery, a certified B Corp. These aligned with our commitment to source from sustainable suppliers with a preference for B Corp certified brands. With their lower minimum quantity order, it meant we could order only what we needed. As part of their commitment to positive change, Merchery is a member of the 1% for the planet, pledging 1% of gross sales annually to environmental causes. You can more about their environmental footprint here
This year’s merch sourcing process sparked a broader improvement in how we manage sustainable procurement. We’ve now introduced a procurement tracker for non-core purchasing, covering everything from t-shirts to carafes. This new system allows us to monitor approved suppliers through our sustainability team and provides a reliable, measurable foundation for our annual carbon footprint reporting.
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As we begin preparations for next May, we’re committed to taking a more in-depth review of our sustainability efforts from this year. We recognise that sustainability is a continuous journey – and even small improvements can lead to meaningful, positive change. Every step forward counts, and we remain dedicated to doing better wherever we can.
