PET Wine Bottles – Replacing heavy glass

PET bottles are most associated with mineral water and carbonated soft drinks. Their proliferation stemmed from their lightweight, shatterproof material and low transport costs. At Petainer, we want to open all markets to the benefits of replacing their current packaging material to unlock the benefits of PET.

Why is glass so associated with wine currently?

Interestingly, a sealed bottle of wine on the shelf is a relatively recent phenomenon. Glass started as a very expensive rarity, and having a bottle dedicated to wine would have been a preserve of the rich. As recently as the 19th century, the wine merchant would fill your bottle directly from the barrel for you to enjoy, and that bottle would be reused a number of times. Glass, with its thick wall, provided a good barrier against oxygen, and could be coloured to protect against UV & light. As technology progressed glass became cheaper, and more widely available for the bottling of wine. This a trend now being challenged by the availability of PET solutions.

What are the benefits of PET wine bottles?

Whilst glass is the most common solution currently, it suffers from being both heavy and fragile. At 47.3g, a Petainer PET bottle is roughly 10 times lighter than a standard glass bottle. Reduced weight means lighter transport, and in turn less CO2 emitted, whilst its shatterproof material means that it won’t break during transport. As wine is often produced long distances from where it is produced, any reduction in weight will confer cost savings and emissions savings.

Whilst a PET’s bottle wall is thinner, and slightly more permeable to oxygen, this shouldn’t be an issue in most cases. Though estimates vary, only 1-5% of the wine made is intended to be stored and aged, meaning the majority of wine will be drunk soon after it is made. The additional benefits conferred by glass are therefore provided to, but not necessary for, all wines. PET wine bottles will keep an early drinking wine style fresh for its intended drinking window. It shouldn’t be forgotten that many wines have added sulphur that will add protection against oxidation.

How does a PET wine bottle make the experience of buying wine the same?

Petainer’s Wine Bottle is designed to give the consumer the same experience of buying wine as they are used to. Our bottle is based on the classic Bordeaux wine bottle shape, with high shoulders and a straight cylindrical body, familiar to wine drinkers the world over. Our bottle also comes with a functional punt in the base to aid pouring. The BVS 30H60 neck finish can accommodate a capsule, a cosmetic feature that is a hangover from bottles that have a cork.

This all means that when a customer is walking the aisle of a shop, they won’t notice any difference.