Glass packaging initiative reduces carbon emissions

The Margaret River Wine Association (MRWA) has launched its Lightweight Glass Packaging Charter — an initiative aimed at tackling a significant source of carbon emissions: glass packaging.

According to industry body Wine Australia, wine packaging accounts for 44% of emissions associated with wine production from grape to end-of-life packaging. The MRWA said switching to lightweight glass can help reduce these emissions by over 20%.

The charter already includes seven wineries as full signatories using lightweight bottles across their production, including Pierro Wines (which has used lightweight glass since 2012), Evans & Tate (since 2019) and La Kooki (since 2021).

An additional 10 wineries have provided a ‘statement of intent’ to become full signatories by the end of the 2025–2026 financial year.

To become a full signatory, members must commit to an average bottle weight of less than 420 g for all 750 ml still wines.

MRWA CEO Amanda Whiteland said, “We are committed to continuous improvement, and one part of that is driving the adoption of lightweight glass for Margaret River wines. Supporting our members in this transition is a key step in our broader sustainability efforts and lowering emissions in the wine industry.”

Wine Australia identified reducing glass weight as one of three key strategies in its 2023 Emissions Reduction Roadmap, which outlines a projected 42% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030, with lightweight glass playing a central role in achieving that goal.

Although Margaret River accounts for only 2% of Australia’s wine grapes, the region’s 175 wineries collectively produce around 30 million bottles of wine each year. MRWA estimates that switching the entire region to lightweight glass could save approximately 3000 tonnes of glass annually.

“Even small changes can have a big impact,” said MRWA Sustainability Officer Kate Morgan. “Just by making wine bottles lighter, we could save enough glass to equal the weight of the Sydney Opera House roof.”

Jilyara Wines is one of 10 producers to sign a statement of intent and is well on its way to achieving the charter’s targets. The winery plans to reduce the bottle weight by 30%, saving 175 g per bottle, or eight tonnes of glass per year. Some of its new packaging will be up to 44% lighter.

Michael Peterkin, winemaker and founder of Pierro, has been using lightweight glass bottles across the majority of his wines since 2012.

“It made sense,” Peterkin said. “If you’re trying to reduce your greenhouse gas emissions, the big kahuna is glass. You can do everything else, but you’re really not achieving all that much unless you take care of that one.”

As retailers and consumers become more informed, perceptions are shifting away from the idea that heavier bottles are an indicator of the wine’s quality.

“We’ve found that when we tell customers we use lightweight bottles, they’re genuinely interested, sometimes surprised, but it creates meaningful conversations about sustainability beyond the vineyard and winery. In recent vintages, to raise awareness, we’ve even added a message to our labels: ‘Committed to sustainability, we use lightweight bottles to reduce our carbon footprint. It’s what’s inside the bottle that matters’,” said Eloise Jarvis, winemaker at La Kooki.

The Lightweight Glass Packaging Charter is one of several sustainability measures being led by the MRWA, which also supports its members in achieving Sustainable Wine Growing Australia certification across vineyards, wineries and wine businesses.

Image caption: Lightweight Wines Group. Image: Supplied.