Packamama Provides Eco-Flat rPET Bottles to The Wine Society

Revolutionizing Wine Packaging: rPET and The Wine Society Unite for Eco-Flat Bottle Collaboration

Packamama, in collaboration with The Wine Society, is introducing eco-flat wine bottles made from recycled PET (rPET) to reduce carbon emissions. These lightweight bottles weigh only 63g compared to the average 460g of glass bottles, offering environmental benefits and increased convenience to consumers. Santiago Navarro, CEO and founder of Packamama, says that the move towards eco-flat bottles is driven by a commitment to reducing the carbon footprint, with cost savings becoming apparent at large-scale production of 7-10 million bottles annually.

A report by The Wine Society titled “Alternative Packaging for Wine” highlighted the advantages of rPET bottles over single-use glass bottles in terms of carbon emissions. Despite challenges in shifting away from traditional glass packaging, Packamama’s eco-flat bottles have shown promising results in terms of market fit and sales. As the climate crisis intensifies, organizations are increasingly recognizing the importance of making environmentally conscious choices.

“The word plastic packaging is too general a term to be insightful,” says Navarro. “We believe that the specific material we use, rPET, is best placed to offer wine a low-emissions future while being able to create attractive looking bottles.” 

“Switching to rPET packaging should be done while using smart design, as we do at Packamama, to stand out, look bigger, and be more engaging for consumers.” 

Navarro says the main challenge for the wine industry to move away from glass is that it has been the status quo for centuries. 

Humans are hard-wired to dislike change and avoid risk, he says. 

“We need to demonstrate that the risk of changing to our eco-flat bottle is manageable or negligible.” 

Although UNESDA Soft Drinks Europe previously warned of rising rPET prices, Packamama’s data suggests that demand has been slower than anticipated, leading to price drops in 2023. Despite these favourable conditions, some organizations still opt for virgin PET, indicating a need for greater emphasis on sustainable practices in the industry.