[9]ABC Fine Wine & Spirits, [10] Florida’s oldest and largest independent wine and spirits retailer, has joined alternative wine closure company Nomacorc [11] in its innovative recycling program. Beginning in mid-September, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits will collect post-consumer use Nomacorc wine closures that will then be upcycled into unique consumer products by TerraCycle. [12]

Through its Save the Corks! program, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits will host collection containers in which consumers can deposit used wine closures at nearly all of its 150 Florida retail locations. The collected closures will then be shipped to TerraCycle, which will upcycle the closures into eco-friendly consumer products made via low-energy consumption means.

“While all Nomacorc products are already 100-percent recyclable with low-density polyethylene food packaging, our upcycling program with TerraCycle and ABC Fine Wine & Spirits finds a new purpose for Nomacorc closures while supporting local charitable organizations and our own corporate environmental goals,” says Malcolm Thompson, vice president of marketing and innovation for Nomacorc.

Every wine closure collected and sent to TerraCycle adds $.02 in charitable giving. ABC Fine Wine & Spirits has designated the University of Central Florida and Valencia College, through the Valencia College Foundation, as the initial recipients of the funds.

“For us, an important part of the program was the ability to raise funds for our charitable endeavors, while simultaneously giving wine consumers in Florida a ‘green’ option for their used wine closures,” says Charles Bailes, III, ABC’s chairman and president. “Florida is the third largest wine-consuming state in the country; it took us no time to realize what a difference we could make if people get in the habit of upcycling their wine closures.”

A major focus of ABC¹s collection campaign is “A Taste for Learning,” an annual event sponsored by ABC Fine Wine & Spirits that supports the Valencia Foundation and the University of Central Florida. A Taste for Learning is scheduled for October 17, 2009 and is expected to provide a strong boost to the collection efforts in ABC Fine Wine & Spirits stores statewide.

Nomacorc launched its upcycling program with TerraCycle in January 2009. [13] As TerraCycle’s exclusive wine closure manufacturer partner, Nomacorc says it is leading the effort to identify and secure additional retail and winery sponsors for the closure-recycling program.

Greener Package offers many related articles [14] on TerraCycle’s upcycling programs with a number of major CPG, including Mars, Kashi, Frito-Lay, and others.