Practical packaging that is also sustainable is becoming an increasingly strong sales argument. Northern Europe is considered a pioneer in this respect – including in the wine sector. Studies confirm the trend, highlighting lightweight and robust PET bottles with a high recycled content as a way to reach new target groups.

According to the Wine Packaging Market Report 2024 by IMARC Group, growing demand for sustainable and lightweight packaging solutions is driving the global wine packaging market. Brand image also benefits: “63% of respondents perceive brands with sustainable packaging solutions more positively,” emphasizes the Sustainable Product Packaging study by strategy consultancy Simon-Kucher . A strong starting point for additional business.

New Packaging – New Customers
Today, sustainability is defined primarily by low weight, a favorable energy balance, and high recyclability – criteria that PET bottles fulfill. As a result, they create new purchase incentives and appeal to customer segments that were previously difficult to reach. This development can already be observed in Northern Europe.

“Consumer response to PET wine bottles is generally positive, especially among environmentally conscious, convenience focused, and younger wine drinkers. When consumers understand that PET is safe, recyclable, low in CO2 emissions, and does not compromise taste for short term wines, acceptance grows significantly,” says Heidi Melén-Aalto, director of Packaging Design & Development at Anora, a wine and spirits brand house in the Nordic region headquartered in Helsinki. The company is considered a global sustainability pioneer in the industry.

Lightweight, shatterproof, and often more cost-effective, PET bottles also lower barriers to entry. “PET bottles do help reach new target groups. Their light weight and unbreakable design appeal to more casual wine drinkers and people with on the go lifestyles. PET’s strong sustainability story attracts eco conscious consumers looking for lower impact choices,” Melén-Aalto explains.

As a result, PET wines reach a broad audience – from price-sensitive, eco-oriented buyers and outdoor, event, and on-the-go consumers to older people who find heavy glass bottles increasingly difficult to handle.

Extra Design – Extra Market Opportunities
Unlike aluminum cans or bag-in-box solutions, PET allows for almost unlimited design freedom in terms of shape, surface, and color. This gives creatively designed wine bottles greater visibility on store shelves – an advantage in highly competitive sales channels. Distinctive designs can specifically attract consumers for whom appearance plays a key role in purchasing decisions.

Special sizes such as 330 ml or 187 ml open up new use cases, including air travel, catering, events, and promotions. Integrated handles, dosing aids, or specialized closures could also enable new consumption occasions beyond the traditional wine setting. Custom PET bottles can become part of a brand’s identity, conveying values such as modern, urban, or extravagant.

Lightweight Bottle – Easy Transition
The Austrian manufacturer Alpla is regarded as a pioneer with its PET wine bottle in a classic, elegant Bordeaux design. Weighing just 50 grams, it consumes less energy overall than glass and can be pro-duced entirely from recycled material. Depending on the recycled content, CO? savings of up to 50 percent are possible; even without recycled material, emissions are still 38% lower than glass. The first PET bottle requires no additional coating and keeps wine at a high quality level for up to six months. An extended shelf life is expected from a version currently in testing that features an ultra-thin silicon dioxide coating. Both bottles are fully recyclable.

The PET bottle is compatible with standard aluminum closures and can be used on conventional filling lines in common sizes such as 1 l, 0.75 l, and 187 ml. Adjustments to feeding systems, pressure settings, or fine-tuning are straightforward and usually completed with-in half a day with proper preparation. Filling speeds are slightly low-er than with glass, but the compression force required to crimp the aluminum closure – 700 to 800 newtons – is significantly lower than for glass bottles.

Six sizes ranging from 1.5 l to 187 ml are available, and custom de-signs are technically feasible. From an economic standpoint, PET can be viable from volumes of around 50,000 to 100,000 bottles, offering cost advantages of up to 30 percent depending on energy and pro-curement prices.

Innovative Product – Innovative Opportunities
PET is suitable for white and red wine, non-alcoholic variants, spritz drinks, spirits, and juices that do not require hot filling. Its low weight, robustness, and excellent palletization simplify logistics and storage. Currently, the Alpla PET bottle is available in Austrian supermarkets under the wine brand Heuriger by producer Wegenstein. Additional products and markets are set to follow.

More and more winemakers are viewing PET as a sustainable addi-tion to their packaging strategy – for young wines, special editions, or marketing purposes. They benefit from lower costs, reduced car-bon footprints, and recyclable packaging with up to 100 percent recy-cled content. Heidi Melén-Aalto sums it up: “Together, these trends position PET as a mainstream future format, not a niche.”