Waitrose’s new cans will be available in sizes of 187ml, 200ml and 250ml. Credit: Ewan Munro / Flickr (Creative Commons).

British retailer Waitrose, a portfolio company of John Lewis Partnership, is to replace a majority of its small glass wine bottles with aluminium cans in the UK.

The Guardian reported that the move is part of the retailer’s efforts to reduce the carbon footprint of its takeaway drinks.

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Waitrose’s 187ml glass wine bottles will switch to aluminium cans by next week, with the cans to be available in sizes of 187ml, 200ml and 250ml.

Products due to be sold in the cans are white, red and rosé wines from Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Malbec and Pinot Grigio.

The packaging transition is expected to save more than 300t of glass packaging and reduce the carbon footprint of each drink by 50%.

The move will not affect bottles containing champagne, cava, prosecco or rioja due to legal appellation restrictions.

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The Guardian quoted Waitrose beer, wine and spirit bulk sourcing manager Barry Dick as saying: “We’re delighted to pioneer this move and make reducing waste even easier for our customers.

“We know that more people are buying their drinks in canned formats, from cocktails on the go to craft beer, which is why making this shift in our wine category makes so much sense.

“Picking up a can of wine is a great way to enjoy wine in moderation, especially if you’re heading to a picnic or social occasion.

“It also enables customers to try a new variety without worrying about wastage or cost.

“We hope the move will encourage suppliers to continue to develop a diverse and exciting range of wines in cans.”

In August last year, Waitrose revealed plans to remove ‘best before’ dates from the packaging of fresh products to help reduce food waste.

Earlier in the year, the retailer pledged to stop selling disposable barbecues across all its stores in the UK.