The Margaret River Wine Association (MRWA) has introduced a Lightweight Glass Packaging Charter, the first regionally focused initiative of its kind in Australia to reduce the carbon footprint of wine production by lowering bottle weights.
Wine Australia estimates that packaging accounts for 44 per cent of the wine sector’s emissions from grape growing to end-of-life. The MRWA says adopting bottles averaging less than 420 grams for 750ml still wine could cut emissions by more than 20 per cent.
Seven wineries have signed on as full signatories, including Pierro Wines, which has used lightweight glass since 2012, Evans & Tate (since 2019) and La Kooki (since 2021). Ten others have provided a statement of intent to meet the target by the end of the 2025–2026 financial year.
To qualify, signatories must commit to the 420-gram average across all 750ml still wines. MRWA estimates that switching the entire region to lightweight glass could save about 3,000 tonnes of glass annually.
Kate Morgan, MRWA sustainability officer, said, “Just by making wine bottles lighter, we could save enough glass to equal the weight of the Sydney Opera House roof.”
Jilyara Wines, one of the wineries with a statement of intent, plans to reduce bottle weight by 30 per cent, saving eight tonnes of glass a year, with some new packaging up to 44 per cent lighter.
Michael Peterkin, winemaker and founder of Pierro, said glass was the largest contributor to emissions in wine. “If you’re trying to reduce your greenhouse gas emissions, the big kahuna is glass,” he said. “You can do everything else, but you’re really not achieving all that much unless you take care of that one.”
The charter aligns with the Sustainable Wine Roundtable’s Bottle Weight Accord in the UK and reflects a shift away from the perception that heavier bottles indicate higher quality. Eloise Jarvis, winemaker at La Kooki, said the company communicates its use of lightweight bottles on labels to raise awareness. “It’s what’s inside the bottle that matters,” she said.
The MRWA is also supporting members to achieve Sustainable Winegrowing Australia certification across vineyards, wineries and wine businesses.
