The Margaret River Wine Association is on a mission to lower carbon emissions in the wine industry with its new initiative for lightweight glass bottles.
Before glass bottles, wine was stored in clay vessels and transported in barrels. With technological advancements that led to stronger glass through high-temperature furnaces, wine bottles became the popular way to store and transport the beverage. Since then, thick glass bottles have been the standard in the industry for centuries.
However, are glass bottles good for the environment?
Joining Food and Beverage Industry News, Amanda Whiteland, chief executive officer of the Margaret River Wine Association (MRWA), described the amount of carbon emissions caused by the wine industry.
“The highest proportion of carbon comes from packaging followed by transport,” she said.
According to industry body Wine Australia, wine packaging accounts for 44 per cent of emissions associated with wine production, from grape to end-of-life packaging. Transport, particularly across vast distances within Australia and to international markets, makes up the second largest share.
Whiteland talked of an industry solution: lightweight glass bottles.
Lightweight glass bottles
It is only in recent years that the industry has begun to uncover the detrimental effects of heavier wine glass bottles on the environment. International retailers have increased pressure on suppliers to reduce packaging emissions. Many UK retailers, for instance, have signed agreements requiring lighter bottles.
As the name suggests, lightweight glass bottles reduce the average weight of wine bottles in Australia, which is approximately 560g. Defined internationally as those weighing under 420g, wineries that adopt lightweight glass bottles can help reduce carbon emissions by more than 20 per cent. This is achieved not only through the reduced raw material required for production, but also through lowered freight emissions.
“Reducing the glass weight is one of the easiest ways to reduce carbon footprint and it also reduces transport emissions,” said Whiteland.
The shift to lighter bottles has been made possible through collaboration with glass manufacturers in South Australia, who are themselves investing in sustainable technologies.
“The glass suppliers in South Australia are increasingly using higher percentages of recycled glass,” she said.
While including higher proportions of recycled glass, Whiteland explained that glass manufacturers are also making moves to oxygen furnaces. This includes Orora’s new oxyfuel furnace that can reduce nitrogen oxides up to 80 per cent, CO2 by 25 per cent and total furnace energy up to 30 per cent. By working closely with suppliers, the association is assisting Margaret River wineries have access to environmentally improved packaging solutions without compromising presentation or functionality.
Although environmental considerations are central, there are also practical benefits to the initiative. Due to the absence of local glass manufacturers in Western Australia, producers face greater impacts as bottles must be transported from South Australia. With reduced weight, lighter bottles minimise strain on logistics, lowering freight costs and making handling easier in warehouses and retail environments.
For staff moving cases of wine, reduced weight translates to a safer and more manageable workplace, cutting the risk of injuries from heavy lifting. Every reduction in weight cuts costs and emissions during both the inbound journey of empty bottles and the outbound journey of finished wine. Although the cost savings are not the primary motivation, they provide an additional incentive for wineries and distributors to transition, further strengthening the business case for sustainability.
While the shift to lightweight glass bottles is attractive due to environmental factors and lower costs, stigmas surrounding the adoption of lightweight bottles still pose a barrier.
Does heavier bottles equal quality?
One of the few barriers to widespread adoption has been the perceived perception that heavier bottles suggest higher quality wine.
“Some businesses are nervous to put their premium wines into a lightweight bottle due to fear of losing consumers,” said Whiteland.
While this belief persists in some markets, Whiteland noted that studies in Europe show that bottle weight has little to no effect on consumer purchasing decisions. Several Margaret River wineries have already used lightweight bottles for their premium wines for over a decade without experiencing any negative impact on sales.
“We’re confident that lightweight glass bottles will become a ‘feel-good’ purchase for environmentally conscious customers,” she added.
The technical difference lies in thinner glass walls and a reduced “punt” at the base of the bottle, which does not affect the wine itself. As more wineries transition, the expectation is that any potential stigma will disappear. To help with this transition, the MRWA is at the forefront of the movement to reduce carbon footprint by launching its new lightweight glass packaging charter, a nation-first initiative for glass packaging.
MRWA’s charter
The MRWA’s initiative, launched as a formal charter, reflects the association’s broader mission to align fine wine with ecological responsibility and set a benchmark for the Australian wine industry. With 175 wineries reporting production from local grapes last year, the association is central to both the region’s identity and its international reputation.
Although Margaret River accounts for only two per cent of Australia’s wine grapes, the region’s wineries produce approximately 30 million bottles of wine per year. By catalysing the shift to lightweight glass bottles across the region, the MRWA estimates saving 3,000 tonnes of glass annually.
Whiteland explained that Margaret River is recognised as one of two biodiversity hotspots in Australia and one of 25 globally. Many producers in the region are certified through Sustainable Winegrowing Australia, while others pursue organic or biodynamic certification.
“There’s a lot of people in the region trying to have a lighter footprint in their wine production,” she said.
These practices are rooted in an understanding that the region’s future prosperity depends on maintaining its natural assets. The lightweight glass initiative therefore fits alongside the MRWA’s commitment to reducing emissions.
Currently, seven Margaret River wineries have formally signed the charter, including Pierro Wines, Evans & Tate, and La Kooki. An additional 10 have provided a statement of intent to become full signatories by the end of the 2025-2026 financial year. Although still early, the initiative has sparked discussion across the membership, with more wineries considering the shift.
“We are trying to talk to as many people as possible to amplify the voice around why the shift is the right thing to do,” said Whiteland.
The future of wine packaging
Looking ahead, the vision is for lightweight glass to become the default option across Margaret River and eventually across Australia. Wine Australia identified reducing glass weight as one of three key strategies in its 2023 Emissions Reduction Roadmap. It outlined a projected 42 per cent reduction in carbon emissions by 2030, with lightweight glass playing a central role in achieving that goal.
With mounting pressure from international retailers and global sustainability standards, the case for change is strong. Whiteland said that if every winery were to adopt bottles that are lighter by 140g or more, the region would eliminate any potential stigma and make the practice mainstream for a sustainable wine industry.
The association is supporting the process of widening the initiative by publishing case studies that demonstrate how wineries, including small-scale producers such as Jilyara, can successfully adopt lightweight bottles. The goal is to make the transition as accessible as possible and to normalise lightweight packaging across the region.
Although the initiative began at a regional level, the association hopes it will inspire change across the Australian wine industry. Lightweight bottles represent one of the simplest yet most impactful ways of cutting emissions, and their adoption requires no adjustment in winemaking practices.
“It’s the right thing to be doing,” said Whiteland. “And we’re trying to help everyone as much as we can on that journey.”