Design

Lightweighting of sparkling wine and champagne packaging is under the spotlight in a project led by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (Wrap).

In advance of a Wrap report due in March, Broadland Wineries in Norfolk has launched the UK's lightest sparkling wine bottle.

Broadland has worked with glass supplier AE Chapman in London to reduce the weight of its 75cl wine bottle from 480g to 400g.

Wrap hopes the launch will highlight the possibilities of reducing pack weight in the sector.

The tolerance level of bottles for carbonated wines needs to be higher than normal due to higher pressure levels.

Unlike some sparkling wines, champagne is carbonated during fermentation, meaning bottles must be able to withstand pressure over a prolonged period.

Wrap retail project manager Nicola Jenkin said wine brands preferred to "right-weight" rather than "lightweight" to find the maximum weight reduction possible without losing their brand identity.

The lightest 75cl wine bottle available in the UK is 304g.