TOKYOMay 2 (News On Japan) – As demand for sake recovers both domestically and internationally, a severe shortage of sake bottles has prompted a leading food wholesaler to start selling the drink in cans instead of bottles.
Annual sake bottle shipments reached 65.4 million units in 2019, but this number dropped to 46.53 million in 2022, leading to the current shortage. The decline in bottle availability is partly due to reduced demand in places like pubs and taverns during the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to some bottle manufacturers halting production. In addition, an increase in exports has contributed to fewer bottles being recycled.
Japan Access, a major food wholesaler, has begun switching some of its stake from glass bottles to aluminum cans. With an aluminum can recycling rate of over 90%, this shift could potentially spread to other companies in the industry.
Source: ANN
