The UK“s WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme) has welcomed the news that the Co-op is to launch what is believed to be the world“s lightest 70cl spirits bottle, weighing just 298 grams. Devel…
The UK“s WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme) has welcomed the news that the Co-op is to launch what is believed to be the world“s lightest 70cl spirits bottle, weighing just 298 grams. Developed and produced by Rockware Glass, the bottle will be used for the Co-op“s own label whisky from April 2007. The bottle is designed to reduce manufacturing costs, cut carbon emissions and minimise the amount of glass being used in packaging and is the first commercially available 70cl bottle to break the 300 gram weight barrier. The Co-op will trial the bottle in their best-selling 70cl whisky, but plans to expand its use into other 70cl own-brand spirits. The spirits industry is one of the UK“s largest consumers of glass packaging, using more than half a million tonnes each year. With off-trade spirits sales continuing to rise, demand for glass packaging is stronger than ever, and WRAP expects this bottle to lead the way in lightweighting across this important industry sector. WRAP estimates that 150,000 tonnes of glass could be saved each year if the food and drink industry reduced the average container weight by just 10 %. The innovative bottle was developed by Rockware and later incorporated into the Container Lite Programme, a year-long industry-wide project funded by WRAP to promote a range of lightweight glass containers. WRAP project manager Nicola Jenkin said: “The new bottle is a real landmark in packaging design. A sub-300 gram spirits bottle has set a new “best in class“ standard for the sector, so the achievement is very welcome news”. “The new design proves that it is possible for packaging to be resource-efficient, without compromising performance or consumer appeal. We hope other retailers and brand owners will now follow suit”. WRAP continues to work with the glass container supply chain on projects to increase the use of recycled glass in bottles and jars, and through GlassRite, which aims to reduce the amount of glass used in packaging.