Circular economy in the wine industry: an agent based model for the wine supply chain

Abstract

In the last decades, the concept of sustainability has driven many industries into a reconfiguration of their operations to reduce environmental impact. Accordingly, governments and public institutions are shaping the boundaries for new regulations, especially in the agriculture sector. Wine production is a major global industry, and its interest in becoming greener and more sustainable is growing. Since most of the wastes in the wine industry are attributable to organic composition, people share the belief that these wastes are not dangerous for the environment. However, the waste proportion in wine production is significant, reaching a 2:1 ratio, which means that for every two bottles of wine produced, the companies must discard a “bottle of waste”. This study concerns the winemaking process and the possibility to implement Circular Economy (CE) practices in it. The paper also shows several applications of circular economy in the wine sector, identifying benefits, drivers and actions that can lead towards more sustainable business models.