Vinexpo Asia returned to Singapore last month
Over 39,000 glass bottles collected and given new life
Following its successful debut in Singapore in 2023, Vinexpo Asia returned to Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre from 27 to 29 May this year. The three-day event brought together close to 9,000 wine and spirits connoisseurs, with lively panel discussions, masterclasses, blind tastings and sommelier battles.
Topics such as the rise of Asian wines, reinventing pairings and evolving consumer dynamics were part of the discussions, while vintage wines were sampled during the tasting sessions.
As a testament to the appeal of the event in the region, buyers from over 60 markets flew in, learning about the latest products in the industry and connecting with suppliers at the trade show. Over 4,250 meetings were scheduled over a short three days.
Upcycling glass bottles
In the leadup, event organiser Vinexposium was intent on reducing the environmental footprint of their event. Back in 2023, Marina Bay Sands’ Sustainability team worked with them to collect glass bottles and sent them to a glass recycling facility in Malaysia. This time, the Sustainability team proposed creative ideas to give a new lease of life to used glass bottles, including creating stunning artworks to raise awareness of recycling and circularity.
Each day, a vendor would push a cart around the trade show floor, collecting empty bottles and sorting them. Over 39,000 bottles – weighing more than 19,500kg – and 30kg of bottle corks were collected throughout the event. Some of these bottles were sent to Refind, an art glass recycling studio based in Singapore, where artists transform them into masterpieces. Meanwhile, the remaining bottles were sent to a glass recycling facility in Malaysia to be crushed, melted down and moulded into new glass products.
Laurent Bos, Deputy Chief Executive Officer at Vinexposium, said: “Vinexpo Asia 2025 delivered clarity in a complex trade environment, bringing nearly 9,000 professionals together in Singapore to shape the future of wine and spirits in Southeast Asia. Beyond business, we reinforced our commitment to sustainability by rolling out glass bottle and cork recycling initiatives on-site, with the support and actions of Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre and Refind.SG.”
All business events – big or small – have the potential to make a sustainable impact, be it through finding a new purpose for waste materials or even serving locally or regionally sourced menus.
