[Australia] Lightweight Wine Becomes Talk Of The Town

OI has begun production of lightweight bottles at its Adelaide plant which makes about 65% of the estimated 1.1BN glass bottles used by the wine industry each year. One bottling line, which produces about 20% of the plant's output, is now making lightweight bottles and another two are to be commissioned by the end of the year, bringing the output to about 50% of the plant's capacity. Narrow neck press-and-blow technology is used to make the glass wine bottles, which retain conventional wine bottle shapes. Greg Ridder, OI's Asia Pacific President said the bottles weighed between 18-28% less than conventional bottles.