Diam, a wine bottle closure manufacturer, has reduced its carbon footprint by 12 percent to bring it in-line with the carbon footprint of natural cork production. The company focused its efforts on reducing emissions from energy consumption and incoming materials to reduce its carbon footprint.
Diam also terminated the sale of screwcaps due to their high carbon footprint and impact on the environment. A study commissioned by Diam in 2006 found that the Oeneo S-Cap screwcap, manufactured with 35 percent recycled aluminum, emitted 23,442 pounds of equivalent CO2 per ton.
The study, conducted by French agency Cairn Environment, also found that natural cork with PVC emits 5,490 pounds of equivalent CO2 per ton while the Diam closure with PVC emits 9,376 lbs of equivalent CO2 per ton.
Although Diam's production increased four-fold between 2006 and 2007, it only saw a net carbon footprint increase of 3 percent, which represents a 60 percent reduction in the company's total carbon footprint by volume output, according to the company.
Diam is in the midst of restructuring its environmental policy that will drive a proactive internal approach to control its energy consumption, carbon footprint, industrial risks, recycling of cork sub-products and waste, and the design of more environmentally friendly products.
