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- Chris Boiling
- 2025-01-28
Western Australia’s Margaret River – one of the most pristine, geographically secluded coastal wine regions – has made a shift to lightweight glass one of its key strategies for reducing carbon emissions.
The Margaret River Wine Association (MRWA) has launched the Margaret River Lightweight Glass Packaging Charter to promote sustainable practices across the region and to help safeguard the region’s exceptional natural environment, rare biodiversity, and pristine land for future generations. Surrounded by the ocean on three sides, this renowned wine region has been designated as a ‘biodiversity hotspot’ with 46% of the area native forest.
MRWA CEO Amanda Whiteland stated: “We are committed to continuous improvement, and one part of that is driving the adoption of lightweight glass in the Margaret River region. Supporting our members in making this transition is a key step in our broader sustainability efforts.”
She added: “By switching to lightweight glass bottles, emissions can be reduced by over 20%. This relatively simple, single change is impactful.”
This initiative aligns with the Bottle Weight Accord, a similar retailer-led programme launched in the UK by the Sustainable Wine Roundtable, which now encompasses 20 participants.
The aim is to reduce the average weight of a 750ml still wine in the region to below 420g by the end of financial year 2025-2026.
One wine already available in lightweight glass is the Pierro Chardonnay 2023. Michael Peterkin, winemaker and founder of Pierro, has been using lightweight glass bottles across most of his wines since 2012.
“It made sense,” said Peterkin. “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.”
The Pierro Chardonnay 2023 comes in a bottle that weighs 360g.
The Margaret River Wine Association (MRWA) has launched the Margaret River Lightweight Glass Packaging Charter to promote sustainable practices across the region and to help safeguard the region’s exceptional natural environment, rare biodiversity, and pristine land for future generations. Surrounded by the ocean on three sides, this renowned wine region has been designated as a ‘biodiversity hotspot’ with 46% of the area native forest.
MRWA CEO Amanda Whiteland stated: “We are committed to continuous improvement, and one part of that is driving the adoption of lightweight glass in the Margaret River region. Supporting our members in making this transition is a key step in our broader sustainability efforts.”
She added: “By switching to lightweight glass bottles, emissions can be reduced by over 20%. This relatively simple, single change is impactful.”
Lightweight Glass Packaging Charter
The Margaret River Lightweight Glass Packaging Charter provides a comprehensive list for trade and consumers of the wines packaged in lightweight glass and acknowledges wine producers taking action to reduce their carbon footprint. It also encourages others to follow suit.This initiative aligns with the Bottle Weight Accord, a similar retailer-led programme launched in the UK by the Sustainable Wine Roundtable, which now encompasses 20 participants.
The aim is to reduce the average weight of a 750ml still wine in the region to below 420g by the end of financial year 2025-2026.
One wine already available in lightweight glass is the Pierro Chardonnay 2023. Michael Peterkin, winemaker and founder of Pierro, has been using lightweight glass bottles across most of his wines since 2012.
“It made sense,” said Peterkin. “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.”
The Pierro Chardonnay 2023 comes in a bottle that weighs 360g.
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