Verallia launches lightweight glass spirit bottles

The lightweight bottles come as the glass packaging manufacturer spies a gap in the market for sustainable premium spirit bottles and to support its aims of reducing its scope 1 and 2 emissions by 42% by 2030.

“Our off-the-shelf range of bottles have always had sustainability at the heart of them, but the Ecova range takes it to the next level,”​ said Michael Hogley, Verallia UK director of NPD. “As consumer’s views on sustainability have evolved, we wanted to ensure that we have the most sustainable premium spirit bottle options available.”​

Glass manufacturing is among the most energy-intensive global industries and it’s anticipated that reducing the weight of glass bottles in the spirits industry will save significant CO₂ ​emissions in both manufacture and transport.

To support the eco-credentials of its latest range, Verallia has a zero-glass-waste policy, with any ‘leftovers’ being put back into the system. The company is also using a wider cullet from external sources to support the higher composition of 51% recycled content.

In addition to the lightweight nature of the ECOVA bottles and their high recycled glass content, the team has also designed the bottles in such a way that they do not need divisions when packed onto a pallet, increasing the average pallet by 200 bottles.

Hogley added: “Consumer mindset is changing. They are now much more conscious about sustainable products, leading to them looking for brands that have made active choices around their packaging. With this in mind, we knew a new standard of off-the-shelf glass needed to be developed. ​

“With the launch of our Ecova range, we hope to give spirit brands an opportunity to serve their customers with the confidence that they not only championing their green values, but also ensuring that they can showcase their premium credentials in a great looking bottle.”​

One beverage brand using Verallia’s services is Brockmans Gin which has revealed a new 500g lightweight bottle.

The decision to move to this new bottle is part of the drinks company’s aim to decrease its CO₂​ emissions through an overall reduction of energy intensive material usage and logistics.

Brockmans claims the new bottle contains 30% less glass than direct competitors; this has been measured and compared individually to each bottle from the competitive set (glass and labels) and is based on the average weight of the competitive set’s bottles. The data has been verified independently by Campden BRI.

Brockman’s says it is confident the new packaging will set a benchmark for others in the industry.

Jean-Dominique Andreu, managing director of Brockman Gin, added: “Our new bottle represents a significant step in our journey towards sustainability. We are proud to lead the industry with this innovative, lightweight packaging and we are committed to continuing our efforts to create a more sustainable future.”​

In other news, wheat producer Crespel & Deiters expands site with €18.5m investment.​​