Nampak Wiegand Glass Produces South Africa’s Lightest Weight 750 ml Wine Bottle

Nampak Wiegand Glass has reached a higher level in the lightweighting of packaging with the launch of the lightest of all glass 750 ml wine bottles made in South Africa yet.

The ultra lightweight 750 ml glass bottle weighs only 340 g – compared to the standard 450 g bottle – and is manufactured through a Narrow Neck Press and Blow Process, the latest technology available for glass container manufacturing. This process enables the glass to be distributed more evenly during the manufacturing process, resulting in less glass needed to ensure acceptable strength and durability.

Douglas Green Bellingham's (DGB) high volume Culemborg range is the first brand to benefit from the ultra lightweight bottle's raw material, supply chain and environmental savings. DGB’s General Manager of Operations, Pieter Marais, had this to say of their packaging choice: “To illustrate its significance, consider that this brand was previously offered in the standard 450 g bottle. The lightweighting therefore represents a 24 % weight reduction in glass and the reduction in carbon dioxide equivalent emissions on this brand alone is estimated to be over 100 tons per year.”

Annual volumes to the general trade for the first year are modestly estimated at 2 million units for the 340 g version – a saving of 60 tons of raw material. These volumes are aimed to more than double in 2012. As an additional plus, the raw materials used in Nampak Wiegand Glass's manufacturing process are complimented – and reduced – by using up to, and sometimes more than 45 % cullet (recovered waste glass collected from recycling initiatives).