Chris Snow in Adelaide
Australia is on the verge of becoming a major user of lightweight wine bottles.
Enraged or inspired by what you’ve read? Have your say on the Letters page of Decanter magazine by emailing editorial@decanter.com.
–> Global glass container giant O-I has started production of lightweight bottles at its Adelaide plant which makes about 65% of the estimated 1.1bn 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-Is wine bottle plants globally to make glass wine bottles which 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 domestically and a Pernod Ricard Pacific spokesperson said that it was investigating using the bottles for all its wines, including the 8 million-cases-a-year Jacob’s Creek range.
O-I will display the new bottles at the Wine Australia stand at the London International Wine Trade Fair this week.
This is another great idea from the down under. Australia invented the wine-in-the-box and it goes beyond kitchen wine. The waste of bottles and plastic corks is so enormous one cannot bear. Recycling may do some good with the problem but prevention is a great way to deal with the waste.
The Purple Folder 