Australia is on the verge of becoming a major user of lightweight wine bottles, Decanter reports.
Global glass container giant O-I has started production of lightweight bottles at its Adelaide plant, which makes about 65% of the estimated 1 billion glass bottles used by the wine industry each year.
One bottling line, which produces about 20% of the plant’s output, is now making lightweight bottles, and another two are to be commissioned by the end of the year — bringing the output to about 50% of the plant’s capacity.
The plant is using new “narrow neck press and blow” technology which has allowed it to become the first of O-I’s wine bottle plants globally to make glass wine bottles that retain conventional wine bottle shapes.
Greg Ridder, O-I’s Asia Pacific President, said the bottles weighed between 18 and 28% less than conventional bottles.
Constellation Wines Australia is using the bottles for its Banrock Station brand, and a Pernod Ricard Pacific spokesperson said that it was investigating using the bottles for all its wines, including the well-known Jacob’s Creek range.
