A new report from Euromonitor finds that 30 percent of all wines now come with caps, but the sustainability impact of the closures doesn't always get noticed.

According to the Aluminium Closures organization, that means about 9 billion wine bottles annually are capped in screw-top closures. Most of that growth is in the United States and Europe, especially the latter since at 17 billion units annually it remains the world's largest market for non-sparkling wines.

Even as Europe's wine sales went down roughly 6 percent during a five-year period ending in 2016, according to the beverage market analysts at IWSR, the aluminium closure use went up 14.5 percent.

"There is a truly global acceptance of aluminium closures, particularly with younger consumers and those new to wine, who show a real preference for screwcaps," said spokesman Guido Aufdemkamp of Aluminium Closures. "Consumers are convinced by their ease of use, as surveys of our Turn 360° campaign have demonstrated. In addition, these closures are completely recyclable, so fit completely with the current demands for more sustainable performance of packaging."

That climate-conscious motivation is at the heart of Turn 360°, which promotes a circular model that begins with the value of protecting great-tasting wines, moves through opportunities in packaging design and the technical and economic benefits of the closures, and then focuses on consumer convenience. The last point emphasizes recyclability, which begins the circle anew at wine quality.

The European Aluminium Foil Association says that in 2016, Europe's recycling rate for aluminium wine closures topped more than 50 percent. "For example, the UK's 'You Can Leave Your Cap On' scheme has enabled local authorities to increase the recovery of aluminium closures for recycling," the trade group said. By encouraging consumers to screw the closures back on empty bottles before recycling, more aluminium is being successfully recovered. Denmark and Italy followed suit with their own campaigns.

Part of the success comes from public education, while the rest is from smarter recycling processes.

"It is encouraging to see the industry continues to support national initiatives which enhance the collection and recycling of aluminium closures," said the EAFA's Franco Bove. "Recycled aluminium is a valuable commodity, so it supports the economics of the recycling process."

There are similar patterns when comparing Europe with the United States, although U.S. wine sales went up by 4.4 percent in 2016 when compared with the previous year. For the aluminium closures instead of traditional cork or plastics, almost half – about 45 percent – of all bottles use screwcaps.

Quite apart from the affordable materials and the eco-friendly capacity for recycling, the closures make consumers happy. The aluminium screwcaps make it a lot easier to open a wine and enjoy it without having to finish it, since the material protects the flavor and keeps the opened bottle clean. It's also an easier choice for those on the go, taking a bottle to a summer concert in the park or popping over to see friends. There's no need for a corkscrew, and there's no need to put extra muscle into it.

For today's environmentally conscious consumers, the wine cap recycling is one more reason to feel good about the wines they enjoy.