Packamama scales next-gen polymer wine bottle rollout in Australia

Packamama has been granted AU$1 million (US$654,895) by the Australian government’s Business Research and Innovation Initiative (BRII) to develop “next-generation” polymer wine bottles. Packamama’s solution aims to protect wine quality, reduce carbon emissions, and enhance the competitiveness of Australian wine domestically and internationally.

The BRII previously provided the UK-based packaging company with an AU$100,000 (US$65,470) grant for an initial study to demonstrate the wine preservation potential of its polymer bottles. The laboratory research revealed that preservation of around four years is feasible.

The company says its bottles cut carbon emissions by more than half compared to traditional glass bottles, while also being lighter, shatterproof, and fully recyclable through existing systems.

“Being selected by the Australian government and Wine Australia to help lead the industry’s packaging transition is deeply motivating,” says Santiago Navarro, CEO and founder at Packamama.

“It is proof that innovation in materials, design, and technology can protect wine and the planet in equal measure. Together, we can make the wine bottle part of the climate solution, not the problem.”

The polymer wine bottle solution is one of two proof-of-concept recipients from six feasibility-stage participants under the Alternative Packaging for Australian Wine challenge. 

Packamama says the development shows its commitment to “excite consumers and decarbonize wine through design and technology.”

The company sets out to validate its bottles through material trials, recyclability testing, and consumer research over the next 18 months. It is also exploring retail collaborations in Australia and the UK, “where prior listings demonstrated strong shopper engagement and repeat purchase rates” at Coles in Australia and Tesco and Aldi in the UK. 

Tackling glass emissions 

Packamama cites 2025 findings by the Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI), which suggest that the company’s polymer bottles can reduce emissions by up to 56%. Additionally, exporting wine in Packamama bottles is reported to lower CO2 emissions by 32% compared to glass bulk exports.

AWRI’s 2022 LCA reveals 74% of the Australian wine industry’s total emissions result from the making, moving, and recycling of glass bottles. Thus, Packamama argues its polymer bottles could help decarbonize the country’s 1.5 billion-bottle-a-year sector and protect jobs.

According to Packamama, the grant supports Wine Australia’s Emissions Reduction Roadmap, aiming for a 42% cut to GHG emissions by 2030 and net zero by 2050. The move is also said to align with the pledge of the Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, at the recent UN Climate Summit in New York, US, for Australia to reduce its emissions by up to 70% by 2035.

Recently, the Government of Western Australia announced that it will include glass wine and spirit bottles in its DRS starting July 1, 2026.