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The bulk importing of wine for bottling is proof of the "flexibility" of the UK glass packaging industry to work with the supply chain to "deliver significant environmental benefits", said British Glass director general David Workman.

The number of 75cl bottles that were filled with bulk imported wine increased by 54% from July 2006 to June 2007, according to the Waste and Resources Action Programme (Wrap).

This resulted in the production of an extra 20,000 tonnes of lightweighted glass compared with the previous 12 months.

Workman said: "Bulk importing is not only good for brand owners, but is also good for consumers and has benefits for glass makers."

Wrap said the increase proved that its GlassRite Wine scheme was delivering "real results".

Head of retail Andy Dawe said: "We are reducing the amount of green glass entering our recycling systems, increasing the domestic market for recycled glass and increasing the use of lighter weight bottles."

The increase in bulk importing has led to 14,000 more tonnes of recycled glass being used.

Last May, Wrap published a report into the benefits of bulk importing and filling of lightweight bottles, which showed it was possible to save 375g of carbon dioxide for every 75cl bottle of wine.