In keeping with its 'wine for good' slogan and partnership with global organisation ReSea Project, Australian wine brand The Hidden Sea has launched two new wine varietals packaged and printed with sustainability in mind. The glass packaging is by Orora, the printing is done by Cutler Brands.
The glass bottles for the new 2021 Chardonnay and 2021 Pinot Grigio wines contain significant recycled content, while the labels for the bottles are printed with organic water-based inks, the colour of which is burned off in the recycle process. The bottles are packaged in 100 per cent sustainable and recyclable cardboard materials and the strapping for the boxes is landfill biodegradable.
Visual appeal is an essential element in distinguishing the wines on shelf, a task that world renowned creative director Jon Contino has well accomplished in creating the illustrations on the wine bottles. A New York native who has worked with some of the biggest global brands in the world, Contino's digitisation of hand lettering reveals the influences of historical New York, contemporary street art, and the lost art of hand-drawn lettering.
The Hidden Sea's co-founder Richie Vandenberg said: “We make wines for people that care, so when someone buys our wine, they are not just satisfying their own immediate needs – but also contributing to something much larger than themselves. And our wines must therefore reflect this trust.”
Sustainability is integral to the business practices of Orora, who manufactures the wine bottles from a mix of virgin raw materials with significant recycled content. They’re also infinitely recyclable without any compromise on quality.
A large focus for Orora, which follows Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), is working towards the principles of a circular economy. It is accredited with the HACCP (PAS223 and ISO22000), OH&S (AS/NZS 4801:2001), Environmental Performance (ISO 14001) certifications.
Orora's Gawler glass manufacturing plant in South Australia is a significant user of recycled glass (cullet) in Australia, and the plant currently consumes approximately 80 per cent of cullet derived from the South Australian container deposit scheme.
The company's wine closures are manufactured from aluminium – which contains up to 70 per cent recycled content. Aluminium is 100 per cent recyclable, and requires only 5 per cent of energy used to create virgin aluminium – with no loss of properties or quality during the recycling process.
Biogone's landfill-biodegradable pallet strapping is used to securely bind the 2 x 6 wine packs together. As with all The Hidden Sea's landfill-biodegradable products, the straps can be recycled with other soft plastics.
“To have removed over five million plastic bottles from the ocean since July 2020 is something we are so very proud of. It gives us the drive to keep doing what we do and set even bigger goals for the brand. Here at The Hidden Sea, we’re not creating another drinking movement; we’re creating a movement," said Justin Moran, co-founder of The Hidden Sea.
