Packamama secures government grant for Australian wine packaging research

Packamama has obtained a AUD$100,000 (US$62.847,00) grant from the Australian Government under the Business Research and Innovation Initiative, Renewables and Low Emissions Round. The grant will help Packamama test the technical and commercial viability of sustainable wine packaging for premium wines, longer shelf life and exported wines.

Santiago Navarro, CEO and founder of Packamama, says: “This grant allows us to accelerate our vision of combining sustainability with functionality to better meet the demands of more Australian wine producers and consumers, including those overseas. By moving beyond traditional glass, we can significantly reduce emissions and contribute to Australia’s net-zero goals.”

Packamama says the grant will support researchers develop lighter, more sustainable solutions that meet consumer demands for premium-quality wine.

The packaging company will research polymers and performance additives to overcome oxygen permeability and aroma absorption. Packamama will digitally simulate bottle design for aesthetic standards and assess scalable production options across Australia and abroad. 

The initiative builds on the success of Packamama’s 100% recycled PET (rPET) eco–flat bottle, designed for commercial wines.

The grant is part of a larger AUD$1.43 million (~US$899.000,00) initiative for the wine packaging and safe drinking water industries and energy efficiency in commercial fishing. It is awarded to 15 small and medium-sized Australian enterprises. 

Sustainable solutions for wine packaging

There is increasing R&D into wine packaging solutions that combine sustainable packaging with consumer quality. 

In September, Packamama equipped alcoholic beverage company The Wine Society with 100% rPET flat bottles for four wines. Unlike glass, the colorless rPET bottles in the range that contain white wines have a UV inhibitor added to protect the wine from light strikes. 

Meanwhile, the Alternative Packaging Alliance, a coalition of seven wine brands aiming to transform the wine industry’s approach to packaging by introducing glass bottle alternatives, launched in the US.