Tesco reaches lightweight milestone

Tesco has set a new environmental benchmark by introducing its lightest-ever wine bottles onto shelves.

Following a successful collaborative Glassrite project with WRAP, Kingsland Wine and Spirits and Quinn Glass, the bottles are expected to reduce the supermarket’s glass usage by 560 tonnes a year.

The new bottles will weigh 300g, making them 30% lighter than Tesco’s previously lightest bottle. With more sloping shoulders and being a little shorter than the average bottle, the new design is a slightly distorted version of a regular wine bottle.

These design changes have been incorporated in order to both accommodate the wine and retain the bottle’s strength and durability. A picture of the new design is as yet unavailable.

Speaking of the development, Andrew Gale, category technical manager for the beers, wines and spirits division, said: “Tesco has one of the largest wine ranges of any retailer and a traditional 12-bottle case weighs about 6kg in glass alone, presenting a real opportunity for us to make a difference. We have committed to bottling all entry-level New World wines in the new 300g option.

“Our customers tell us they are happy to buy lighter bottles so it is unnecessary to support marketing through glass weight. We are also working with suppliers to discourage the use of heavyweight bottles even on branded products."

The first wine on shelf to use the new 300g bottle will be the non-vintage Tesco Australian Red, which will be available in the new format later this year.

Jane Parkinson, 18.01.10