Margaret River has launched what it says is Australia’s first regionally focused Lightweight Glass Packaging Charter, aimed at cutting carbon emissions in the wine sector by reducing bottle weights.
The initiative, led by the Margaret River Wine Association (MRWA), recognises wineries that commit to using glass bottles averaging less than 420 grams for 750ml still wine, the company said in a news release.
MRWA chief executive Amanda Whiteland said the change addresses one of the industry’s biggest sources of emissions. “We are committed to continuous improvement, and one part of that is driving the adoption of lightweight glass for Margaret River wines,” she said.
“Supporting our members in this transition is a key step in our broader sustainability efforts and lowering emissions in the wine industry.”
According to Wine Australia, packaging accounts for 44 per cent of the wine sector’s carbon footprint. The MRWA said it believes that by making bottles lighter, wineries could cut packaging-related emissions by more than 20 per cent.
The 2023 Emissions Reduction Roadmap from Wine Australia identified reducing glass weight as one of three key strategies to achieving a projected 42 per cent cut in wine sector emissions by 2030.
Seven wineries, including Pierro Wines, Evans & Tate, and La Kooki, are already full signatories to the charter, while 10 more have signed statements of intent to meet the standard by the end of the 2025–26 financial year.
Pierro founder and winemaker Michael Peterkin, who has used lightweight bottles since 2012, said the decision was straightforward.
“If you’re trying to reduce your greenhouse gas emissions, the big kahuna is glass. You can do everything else, but you’re really not achieving all that much unless you take care of that one.”
Although the Margaret River region produces only 2 per cent of Australia’s wine grapes, its 175 wineries produce around 30 million bottles each year. MRWA estimates that switching entirely to lightweight bottles could save about 3,000 tonnes of glass annually.
Sustainability officer Kate Morgan said the impact of such a change is significant. “Just by making wine bottles lighter, we could save enough glass to equal the weight of the Sydney Opera House roof.”
Jilyara Wines, one of the producers with a statement of intent, plans to reduce bottle weight by 30 per cent, saving 175 grams per bottle, or eight tonnes of glass per year.
Some of its packaging will be 44% lighter. For La Kooki winemaker Eloise Jarvis, the change also helps shift consumer perceptions.
“It’s what’s inside the bottle that matters,” she said. “When we tell customers we use lightweight bottles, they’re genuinely interested, sometimes surprised, but it creates meaningful conversations about sustainability beyond the vineyard and winery.”
The Margaret River charter follows similar global efforts, including the UK-based Sustainable Wine Roundtable Bottle Weight Accord.
Further information on the Lightweight Glass Packaging Charter is available at margaretriver.wine.
