Attention Wine Lovers: Plastic or Paper Bottles in Vogue

A glass bottle, a natural cork stopper, and an eye-catching label: these complete the traditional packaging for wine. Whether sweet rosé or dry white wine is then purely a question of taste. But as much as tastes differ when it comes to the best grape juice, the packaging for it is now just as varied. For years, for example, there have been deposit systems for wines developed by German winegrowers. A good two years ago, the paper bottle caused a minor upheaval in the drinks industry.

Industrial Maturity Still in its Infancy

Paper as a material for bottles: The idea is not new, but industrial maturity is still in its infancy. The Danish company Paboco and the Swedish start-up Blue Ocean Closures presented a product at the end of 2024 that sets new standards. The recyclable bottle is made of paper, cellulose fibers, and a thin HDPE barrier film. Numerous brand manufacturers from the beverage and consumer goods industry such as Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble, Carlsberg, and L'Oréal support the project. The weight of the entire packaging including the cap is less than 16 grams. Thanks to the thin barrier, the bottle and cap can be recycled as paper packaging. In the paper packaging stream, the bottle decomposes, and the materials separate so that the paper can be recycled. The barrier film is separated and thrown away by most facilities.

PET Bottle for Wine

Packaging manufacturer Alpla has launched a new sustainable solution for wine producers on the Austrian market in the form of the PET wine bottle. In the UK, for example, PET bottles are on the market in Aldi stores, which the discounter has developed in cooperation with Packamama.

The Austrian winery Wegenstein uses Alpla bottles made from recyclable PET. “The PET bottle delivers what it promises. It is visually appealing, ensures our quality and is practical,” explains Herbert Toifl, Managing Director of Weinkellerei Wegenstein. The wines in the new REWE own-brand bottle are available in Austrian food retail outlets such as BILLA, BILLA Plus, ADEG, Penny, and Sutterlüty.

The 0.75-liter bottle weighs just 50 grams – around eight times less than the glass alternative. The sustainable solution reduces CO2 consumption by 38 percent compared to the glass alternative – and that’s without taking into account rPET content. The PET bottle is also available in a 1-liter version. Alpla provides the recycled material from its own ALPLArecycling recycling plants. The low weight of the packaging also has positive effects during transportation. There is also the cost advantage. Depending on the requirements, PET wine bottles from ALPLA are up to 30 percent cheaper than glass bottles, explains Lukas Österle, Senior Sustainability Communications Manager, when asked by FACHPACK 360°. “Another major advantage is that we can react flexibly and respond quickly to changing requirements. Adapted design, weight, and/or color are easy to implement in the plastics sector,” he adds. The disposable bottle works with conventional metal screw caps and is basically compatible with the winemakers’ bottling lines. Ideally, only minor adjustments are necessary.

Question of Taste?

Back to the question of taste: Is plastic tasteless? This is a question that traditional wine lovers ask themselves. “Blind tastings have shown that there are no differences compared to wine from glass bottles. The quality of the filling material can currently be guaranteed for around six months. PET itself is tasteless, making it the leading material for beverages worldwide. Possible restrictions in taste arise after longer storage due to the barrier properties and the effect of oxygen or the escape of water vapor,” explains Österle.

By Anna Ntemiris, Editor