- Significant increase in production drives sustainability savings for brands
- PET wine bottles are lighter, 100% recyclable and offer superior environmental advantages
- Advancements in technology help meet consumer interest in sustainability
Ann Arbor, Mich., Oct. 19, 2022 – Consumers are increasingly prioritizing concerns about climate change and placing an ever-growing emphasis on sustainability practices and recyclability. Amcor Rigid Plastics (NYSE: AMCR), the largest manufacturer of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) wine bottles, is helping reshape the sustainability needs of a centuries-old industry.
“Consumers growing interest in sustainability and an openness to look beyond tradition, has been met with bottlers difficulty in securing materials. This is encouraging bottlers to seek out alternative packaging for their products in a way we have never seen before. Amcor is offering a proven solution that answers both consumer interest in something different and our customer’s need for a reliable alternative,” said Jonathan Jarman Amcor Rigid Packaging Marketing Manager for Spirits & Wine. “As a global leader in developing and producing responsible packaging, we’ve pledged to develop all our packaging to be recyclable, reusable, or compostable by 2025. Producing PET wine bottles is one way we can provide our customers with a solution that delivers savings for the bottom line and a response to our customer’s sustainability goals.”
Over the past six years, demand for PET wine bottles has significantly increased. From 2016 to 2022 year-to-date, ARP has seen production increase 52%. Projections indicate that demand will increase by an additional 18% by 2026. In all, the total demand for PET wine and spirts bottles produced by ARP is expected to increase by 70% from 2016-2026.
With glass in short supply as it becomes more expensive and harder to acquire, PET wine bottles provide an abundant and sustainable alternative. More environmentally friendly for wallets and the planet, they require fewer raw materials in production and less fuel for transportation. For both transporters and wine lovers on the go, PET wine bottles are lighter and easier to carry.
Additionally, making a PET wine bottle produces 77% fewer greenhouse gases than a glass bottle. The average 750 ml PET wine bottle weighs 85% less than the same-sized glass bottle, for a total saving of eight pounds per case.
The attributes of PET wine bottles are reinforced by a report from McKinsey & Company, the Climate Impact of Plastics, which found that PET bottles have the lowest emissions because of their lightweight properties and the low amount of energy required to produce them. By contrast, aluminum cans produce twice the emissions of PET bottles, and emissions from glass bottles are three times higher.
A PET wine bottle typically features a thin layer of glass. This barrier is fused to the inside of each container to preserve the taste of the wine and protects the quality. The barrier holds the wine while the bottle hold the shape. This ensures the product maintains the integrity and flavor of the wine as it was intended. Further enhancing the sustainability components, ARP’s PET wine bottles can be made with up to 100% recycled material and are 100% recyclable. Additionally, the bottles are shatter resistant, free of bisphenol A (BPA) and approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
“We know that there is a time and place for most packaging materials,’ notes Jarman. “The market is telling brands that when it comes to stainability for their wine packaging, the time is now, and the packaging is PET.”
About Amcor
Amcor is a global leader in developing and producing responsible packaging solutions for food, beverage, pharmaceutical, medical, home and personal-care, and other products. Amcor works with leading companies around the world to protect their products and the people who rely on them, differentiate brands, and improve supply chains through a range of flexible and rigid packaging, specialty cartons, closures, and services. The company is focused on making packaging that is increasingly lighter weight, recyclable and reusable, and made using an increasing amount of recycled content. In fiscal year 2022, 44,000 Amcor people generated $15 billion in annual sales from operations that span 220 locations in 43 countries. NYSE: AMCR; ASX: AMC
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