As the Australian wine sector moves towards its emissions reduction targets, six innovative packaging solutions for premium wine have been awarded Federal Government grants to test their feasibility.
The grants have been issued as part of the Business Research and Innovation Initiative (BRII) – Renewables and Low Emissions Round, managed by the Department of Industry, Science and Resources.
BRII provides funding to startups and SMEs to develop innovative solutions for government policy and service delivery challenges.
Alternative packaging for premium Australian wine was among three challenges of the Renewables and Low Emissions Round.
The technical and commercial feasibility of these solutions will be tested over three months.
Grant recipients who successfully demonstrate the feasibility of their solutions may be invited to apply for a further grant to develop a proof of concept and prototype.
Dr Martin Cole, chief executive officer of Wine Australia, said the Australian grape and wine sector had a goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050, with a 42 per cent reduction by 2030.
“The manufacture of wine packaging and the transport of packaged wine account for around 70 per cent of the Australian wine industry’s carbon emissions with heavy glass bottles being the main contributor,” he said.
“Although the current alternatives to heavy glass bottles, such as lightweight glass bottles, bag-in-box, aluminium cans and PET plastic produce lower emissions, the best innovations in sustainable packaging are yet to come. Wine Australia would like the Australian wine sector to be at the forefront of these developments.
“Wine Australia thanks the Australian government for funding the feasibility phase of these six potential alternatives to heavy glass bottles. Innovative products such as these are critical to the grape and wine sector achieving its net zero goal.”
The BRII grants were awarded to six companies for their proposed solutions:
Margaret River Winery: development of quality biopolymers for sustainable wine packaging
A compostable, food-grade polymer, created from waste grape marc, will be used to create a standard size, rigid walled wine bottle that mimics the quality characteristics of bottles made from glass.
A mini bottle will also be produced as a substitute for existing PET mini bottles used for inflight service, outdoor events and individual servings of the wine.
This will allow for the testing of wine in the prototype packaging and assess quality parameters in comparison to the control samples in glass bottles of the same volume, shape and colour.
Dr AHA Data and AI Technology: AI systems for managing defects in glass production to reduce carbon emissions
This project explores reducing carbon emissions in the wine industry through an AI system for managing defects in wine bottle manufacturing.
Glass wine bottle production and transportation account for 70 per cent of the industry’s carbon emissions, largely due to their weight.
While lightweighting is a potential solution, thinning the glass increases the risk of failure (>10%).
By effectively managing defect generation during manufacturing, the project will enable glass bottle manufacturers to produce high-quality, lightweight wine bottles and reduce carbon emissions.
Recent advancements in AI offer improved defect detection and management, making this project a viable opportunity for innovation.
Delivery Happiness International: sustainable eco flat PET bottles for premium Australian wines and beyond
Packamama aims to enhance its current 100 per cent recycled PET eco-flat bottle by researching and developing a premium bottle design.
Packamama’s new bottle will be heavier and thicker and will incorporate an advanced oxygen barrier and UV light protection.
This initiative addresses the current PET bottle’s limited shelf life, ensuring Australian wine can age in a sustainable solution.
Wine One: development and feasibility of Eco Steel wine bottles for wine
The EcoSteel Wine Bottle project aims to revolutionise the Australian wine industry by introducing a stainless-steel bottle for Australian wine.
This project seeks to introduce standardised, shape-optimised, single-walled stainless steel wine bottles, which will reduce emissions by up to 74 per cent while ensuring superior preservation of wine quality.
Key objectives include finalising the bottle design, cost optimisation, conducting life-cycle analysis, consumer testing and feasibility for establishing domestic manufacturing.
Bravu: eco friendly soft plastic pouch packaging solutions for wine
The company will develop a soft plastic pouch suitable to carry and preserve the quality of Australian wines with a structure that is acceptable to current Australian soft plastic recycling facilities.
Working with the guidance of its partners in manufacturing and recycling, Bravu will develop a product that is purpose built, sustainable and scalable.
The project will involve creating packages and testing wine to see how these packages impact the quality of Australian wines.
Phantm: development of novel natural polymer materials for wine packaging
The project focuses on assessing the feasibility of formulating PHA, a natural polymer, for premium wine packaging.
As part of the project, Phantm will research material properties, design consideration and environmental impacts to lay the groundwork for future manufacturing.
The aim is to produce a low emissions, compostable formulation of PHA capable of effectively storing premium wine.
