Wine bottles are traditionally made out of glass. While glass is recyclable, it’s also the most significant contributor to wine’s carbon footprint. It’s also heavy, and shattered bottles can be dangerous, so they are typically not allowed in places like pools, beaches, or other areas where crowds gather.
Element[AL], a new range of wine from the Bogle Family Wine Collection, replaces conventional glass bottles with aluminum, which are lighter, infinitely recyclable, and shatter-proof. Additionally, Element[Al]’s aluminum bottles are similar in shape to conventional wine packaging and, according to the brand, do not affect the taste of the vino inside.
Besides the lower footprint in creating the bottle and higher recyclability of aluminum, the lighter bottles also mean that fewer greenhouse gas emissions are generated in the transportation of Element[AL] bottles.
And how lighter are they? The aluminum bottle is 80% lighter than its glass counterpart. That reduction means “43% more cases of wine per truckload while keeping the total load 3% lighter in comparison.” That’s because the bottle is slightly smaller than your everyday vino vessel; the Element(AL) bottles have thinner walls and zero punts, but they still contain the standard 750 mL of delicious fermented grape juice. Ultimately, Bogle’s mission is to get the rest of the wine industry to rethink its carbon footprint by addressing its packaging.
Working with agency Stranger & Stranger, the new aluminum bottles have been in development for three years, and according to Bogle, they are the first of their kind to come to market. Rather than using a conventional label glued onto the bottle, the label is printed directly onto the packaging.
“Element[AL] is more than just the launch of a new wine brand; it’s the beginning of a new way of thinking for the wine industry,” Jody Bogle, VP of consumer relations at Bogle Family Wine Collection, said in a press release. “We began by looking for ways to lightweight our existing glass bottles, which led to a more radical approach that we feel consumers are ready to embrace.”
The new Element[AL] wine range will launch later this month with four California varietals—Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir, and Rosé.
Images courtesy of Elemental(AL).
