Wine in a flat bottle anyone?

Serving wine from a flat plastic bottle might sound like heresy for wine lovers but the Coles group are betting on the new packaging being a success. 

A wine bottle made entirely from Australian-sourced 100% recycled PET plastic is helping to reshape the carbon footprint of wine by targeting the industry’s environmental hotspot, the glass bottle.

In a collaboration between sustainable packaging pioneers Packamama and winemakers Accolade Wines and Taylors Wines with eco-bottles of Banrock Station wines and Taylors’ One Small Step range on sale exclusively through select Liquorland and First Choice Liquor Market stores nationally from this month.

The launch marks the Australian market debut of the eco-bottles.

With a nod to tradition, Packamama’s innovative eco-bottle shares the classic high-shouldered silhouette of a traditional ‘Bordeaux’ wine bottle. But when turned to the side, it reveals a slimmer, flatter profile that allows twice as many bottles to fit in a standard wine case - which means it’s much more efficient to transport. 

Using recycled PET also saves weight and with the bottles being 83% lighter, emissions in transport are reduced as well as the energy in production and recycling to further tackle greenhouse gas emissions.

The freight-friendly bottle has the potential to significantly reduce the road transport burden and emissions for wine in Australia.

Were both Accolade Wines and Taylors Wines to switch entirely to eco-bottles, it would cut an impressive 250,000 km of road freight a year or the equivalent of a semi-trailer travelling from Melbourne to Broome 50 times.

And when customers are finished with their Banrock Station and One Small Step Wines, the empty bottle is fully recyclable.

While the shape of the eco-bottle is a departure from the traditional round wine bottle, Packamama’s chief executive and founder Santiago Navarro is confident the time is right for Australian winemakers to  challenge a couple of centuries of tradition.

“Australia is globally recognised as a leader in wine packaging thanks to break-through innovations, including bag-in-box casks and screw-top caps for wines, and we are highly motivated to launch our climate-friendly bottle at Coles with Accolade Wines and Taylors Wines,” Navarro said.

“Coles’ ambition to be Australia’s most sustainable retailer is powerfully aligned with our ambition to deliver the world’s most scalable, sustainable bottle.”

Mia Lloyd, Coles Liquor Acting General Manager Customer, Trade Planning & Insights, said it was exciting to be at the leading edge of packaging innovation with the eco-bottle.

“We know our customers want us to do more in relation to sustainability and this exclusive collaboration with Liquorland, First Choice Liquor Market, Packamama, Taylors Wines and Accolade Wines significantly reduces the carbon footprint of wine for customers every day. The lightweight and flatter eco-bottle also gives our customers a convenient new option when they’re packing for that camping or caravan holiday,”, Lloyd said.

Accolade Wines, who launched the eco-flat bottle two years ago in Europe, says it is on a mission to improve the sustainability of the wine industry and has ambitious targets to advance circular economy packaging across its entire portfolio.

“In the last 18 months alone, we have launched a variety of sustainable and innovative packaging solutions including wine in cans, wine on tap, bagnums, as well as a world-first circular, sustainable packaging solution for on-premise partners,” said Sandy Mayo, Accolade Wines Global Chief Marketing Officer.

“We chose Banrock Station to launch the eco bottle in Australia, because the environmental credentials fit perfectly with the brand’s 25-year sustainability heritage and its commitment to forging a more sustainable future for the planet.” 

Taylors’ third-generation managing director,  Mitchell Taylor said the eco-bottle delivered a more sustainable bottle for consumers and provided another way for wineries to improve their carbon footprint.

“We know that Australian wine drinkers are very open to innovation when it provides real benefits, like this sustainable eco-bottle does,” Taylor said.

Banrock Station eco-bottle Pinot Grigio and Pinot Noir, and Taylors One Small Step Eco-bottle Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are all $16. 

# I sampled the Banrock Pinot Grigio and it tasted fine. No discernable flavour difference to a wine in a glass bottle.