A stand made from recycled cardboard at Wine Paris

anguedoc winegrowers Famille Fabre took the concept of eco-friendly packaging in the wine industry and applied it to their stand at Wine Paris from 10 to 12 February. This year, it chose an 18m2 stand to present its wines, ciders, beers and fruit juices. “We had floor space only and wanted a project that aligned with our values”, explained Clémence Fabre, the family wineries’ export manager. At the exhibition, the company collected the packaging waste from its bottled wines – glassine from the labels, boxes, corks and glass bottles – and decided to create a locally-sourced, sustainable stand made in its home region of Aude using recycled cardboard. As the material is lightweight, it is easy to transport, re-usable and can be repaired.

To recycle its cardboard waste Рsome of which came from the company itself Рinto a stand, the Fabre family turned to an employment rehabilitation company, MP2 Environnement, for the recycled materials collected, along with apprentices from the Ecological Transition College (Etre) in L̩zignan-Corbi̬res, FAB LAB in Limoux (also a rehabilitation centre) and the Divino agency to manage and design the project. The technical challenge was to build a 6-metre-long and 2-metre-high wall out of cardboard but also to create a finish that did not look like a cheap recycling project but would be suitable for welcoming current and potential customers.

Listing the advantages of recycled cardboard, Clémence Fabre hopes the family’s stand will encourage other members of the wine industry to consider transitioning to recycled designs.