How Fetzer Vineyards' Redesigned Glass Bottles Saved the Equivalent of 70,000 Trees

Fetzer Vineyards already has one of the largest crops of certified organic grapes and on-site solar power. Their bottles already contained 35 percent post-consumer recycled glass, and now they have been redesigned to weigh 25.5 less, mostly by making the glass thinner and removing the 'punt'—that inward protrusion of glass at the base of most wine bottles. They're also starting to use labels made from 100 percent recycled paper and printed with soy ink.

According to Fetzer, the new bottles use 16 percent (more than 2,100 tons) less glass, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions throughout the supply chain by 14 percent, or 3,000 tons of CO2—equivalent to planting 70,000 trees and growing them for ten years. And the labels are printed on 100 percent post-consumer waste paper, "resulting in packaging that uses 237 tons less wood, 525 million BTU's less energy, and over 100,000 lbs less carbon dioxide."

Because the bottles—which were already being used in the U.S. and have recently been integrated into Fetzer's European line—weigh so much less, they produce fewer carbon emissions during shipping. Their average export to the UK, for example, now weighs 96 tons less, and the carbon footprint of its packaging has dropped by 485 tons of CO2.

An unexpected bonus is that the lighter weight of the bottle means it's easier on people's backs when carrying boxes of wine. Fetzer's Sustainability Manager Ann Thrupp told Food and Drink Digital, "We've had people from wine shops and supermarkets say they like carrying around the new bottles better."

Even better, the change might be catching on, if Thrupp's observations prove true: "We've been approached by many other wineries, asking us about the changeover, how difficult it was, what the impact was, the consumer perception, and overall we've been able to share a very positive story."