KLM takes Packamama’s plastic eco-flat bottle to the skies in Sustainable Flight Challenge

09 May 2022 --- Dutch flag carrier KLM has trialed Garçon Wines spin-off Packamama’s eco-flat bottle on board two flights leaving from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. The move comes as part of a broader KLM employee initiative called the Sustainable Flight Challenge, where 16 SkyTeam Airline Alliance members are competing with a view to sharing insight and experience on improved environmental sustainability in the airline industry. 

Packamama says its eco-flat bottle is 87% lighter and 40% spatially smaller than conventional glass wine bottles, making them ideally suited for use in the cabin, where space is at a premium and weight savings are beneficial to help reduce fuel consumption.

“The passengers were positive about these eco-friendly wine bottles, especially when the crew explained that we used these bottles from a sustainability perspective,” a KLM spokesperson tells PackagingInsights.

“Wine in these bottles is not yet widely available, but it is certainly an area that we will explore further. The flight to Edmonton was a great opportunity to test the passengers’ perception and we are very happy with the outcome.”

“We are always looking for ways to become more sustainable, while maintaining quality for our customers. We will continue to encourage our suppliers to follow us on the path to the lowest possible environmental impact.”

Packamama claims its recycled PET bottle is 87% lighter than conventional glass wine bottles.

Passenger pleasers
The bottle’s benefits also extend to consumer use. The shatter-proof format means passengers can enjoy a restaurant-like experience with wines poured from a bottle, while the space savings mean fewer trips to the galley to replenish, thanks to more bottles being able to fit in a trolley. 

Organic wines were selected to further enhance the environmental sustainability focus on board Flight KL0675 to Edmonton, Canada, and flight KL1713 to Porto, Portugal, on Saturday.

“The Sustainable Flight Challenge shows that the airline industry is taking meaningful, necessary steps to come together and explore new, innovative ways to reduce their carbon footprint,” says Amelia Dales, commercial director at Packamama.

“Our climate-friendly bottles demonstrate that when it comes to onboard hospitality, experience and enjoyment of wine can go hand-in-hand with sustainability.”

René de Groot, COO of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, adds: “This spirit of cooperation makes greater [environmental] sustainability possible and feasible.”

Packamama
Garçon Wines launched Packamama earlier this year, empowering brands to adopt its eco-flat wine bottles and bottling methods in the battle against climate change. Customers can eventually produce the climate-friendly, 100% recycled PET bottles at scale through their own production facilities.

Santiago Navarro, Packamama’s CEO and founder, told PackagingInsights that the spin-off reinforces the company’s vision to be a driving force in accelerating a low carbon future for the drinks industry by providing climate tech packaging designed for a circular economy, starting with wine.

By Joshua Poole