Aldi’s new flat and stackable wine bottles “make light work of heavy shopping baskets”

20 Mar 2024 --- Collaborating with Packamama, Aldi has rolled out the “UK’s first” supermarket own-brand flat wine bottles within its Chapter & Verse label. The recyclable ergonomic packaging concept is made from 100% recycled PET (rPET) and available for shiraz and chardonnay options.

Targeting picnics and BBQ occasions, the new flat bottles weigh 63 g, making them “nearly seven times lighter and stronger than a standard glass bottle,” while being completely shatterproof, according to Aldi.

“We know shoppers are looking for greener, more sustainable products and our aim is to continue to deliver this, while offering great value and enhanced functionality. We’re pleased to be taking the next step in expanding our recyclable, eco-friendly range,” says Julie Ashfield, managing director of Buying at Aldi UK.

Ergonomic stacking and organizing
The collaboration reportedly removed 42 metric tons of bottle weight for the launch.

The compact design allows 30% more bottles to be loaded onto pallets and transported to supermarkets, Aldi highlights. Converting to these innovative bottles compared to standard round glass takes “30% of trucks off the road.”

The shape of the packaging allows shoppers to stack and organize bottles in their homes, optimizing storage space without lessening the volume of a traditional wine bottle.

Aldi’s Chapter & Verse Shiraz is described as “fruity and juicy” with “soft cherries and berries on the nose.” Meanwhile, Chapter & Verse Chardonnay offers “notes of honeysuckle and baked spiced apple, with nectarine and vanilla on the palate.”

Aldi introduced its Chassaux et Fils Méditerranée Rosé in an rPET bottle.The supermarket also introduced its Chassaux et Fils Méditerranée Rosé in an rPET bottle. “Eight times lighter than the average 75 cl glass bottle, the launch will help to remove 18.15 metric tons of bottle weight,” highlights the chain.

Alongside the new plastic bottles, Aldi is reducing the average bottle weight of all its still wine products by 8%. The process has already started and will be completed by 2025, the company discloses.

Lightweight in vogue
Reducing wine bottle weight promises gains on materials costs and environmental sustainability, while lightening the physical load for grocery shoppers. 

The trend is reflected across the alcoholic beverage sector. Carlsberg tipped lightweighting measures to reduce material use and cut carbon emissions as one critical aspect of its green roadmap in February.

In the same month, Owens-Illinois Glass (O-I Glass) launched its Estampe wine bottle on the French market, weighing approximately 390 g. The bottle is “well below” the average weight of typical wine bottles. Its weight reduction translates to a 25% decrease in overall carbon emissions compared to conventional 500 g wine bottles.

By Benjamin Ferrer