Orora has unveiled a new lightweight Riesling bottle that reduces glass weight by 21 per cent while maintaining the familiar profile and performance expected by Australian wine producers.
Weighing 410g, the new bottle replaces the company's existing 518g AG014 Riesling bottle and, according to Orora, is the lightest locally manufactured Riesling bottle currently available in Australia. It will be available from July in Antique Green.
Lightweighting is recognised as one of the most effective ways to reduce the environmental footprint of glass packaging, lowering raw material consumption, energy use and transport emissions while preserving the performance and recyclability of glass.
Greg Savage, senior vice president – Asia Pacific at Orora, said the new bottle demonstrated how sustainability objectives could be achieved without compromising quality or brand presentation.
"Orora's new 410g Riesling bottle demonstrates how packaging innovation and sustainability can go hand in hand. By reducing the bottle weight by 21 per cent while preserving the quality, performance and iconic Riesling profile that winemakers and consumers recognise, we've delivered a solution that helps customers lower material use and transport-related emissions without compromising brand presentation.
"It's another example of how Orora is working closely with customers to advance lightweighting opportunities that support environmental outcomes and commercial performance."
Although the bottle is 108g lighter than its predecessor, only minor dimensional changes have been made to preserve the familiar Riesling profile and ensure compatibility with existing filling and production infrastructure.
The new bottle will be manufactured exclusively on Orora's G3 oxy-fuel furnace, which the company says is one of Australia's most greenhouse gas-efficient wine glass furnaces. Rebuilt with advanced oxygen-fuel technology, the furnace uses pure oxygen rather than atmospheric air during combustion, reducing wasted energy and delivering up to an 80 per cent reduction in nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, together with around a 30 per cent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions and overall furnace energy requirements.
The launch combines two key strategies for reducing the environmental impact of glass packaging – lightweighting and lower-emissions manufacturing – providing Australian wine producers with another option to reduce the carbon footprint of their packaging while maintaining the classic Riesling bottle profile.
