Wednesday, December 12 2007
Plastic Fantastic
Mr. McGuire: I want to say one word to you. Just one word.
Benjamin: Yes, sir.
Mr. McGuire: Are you listening?
Benjamin: Yes, I am.
Mr. McGuire: Plastics.
Benjamin: Just how do you mean that, sir?
I was reading Decanter news today, and came across a fascinating piece: Bordeaux wine producer Castel mulls use of plastic bottles. Due to consolidations in the industry, glass supply is tight and deliveries have become uncertain:
Concerns about bottle supply in 2008 are mounting – another producer has said it has been warned of further difficulties in 2008.
'If supply difficulties persist, and prices increase, we could imagine replacing glass bottles with PET [polyethylene terephthalate] ones,' said Franck Crouzet, Castel Group's communications director.
PET is the same sort of material used for bottled soda pop and the bottles that go into water-coolers. Sainsbury, a UK supermarket giant introduced a PET bottled wine in its stores last fall.
PET bottled wine. Photo: Packaging Europe Magazine
In an article at Packaging Europe Sainsbury notes that PET wine bottles weigh 54 grams (less than two ounces) compared to 400 grams (nearly one pound) for glass bottles. PET bottles are shipped in a compact state and blow-moulded on-site for use, reducing transport costs. Sainsbury's wine for this program is shipped in bulk and bottled on-site, further stretching transport dollars. If consumers accept the new bottles, it's a shoe-in for reducing carbon footprint and energy costs (glass making takes enormous amounts of energy).
So, are there plastic wine bottles in your future? Maybe--home beer makers accepted PET bottles for their ales and lagers years ago, and despite many predictions of rejection and failure for screw-capped glass bottles in the commercial industry they seem to be thriving. Certainly if glass supplies continue to be scarce or erratic there's a much greater chance that you'll see PET Pinot in your wine rack in the future.
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