Amcor, Ron Rubin Winery partner to launch premium wine in rPET bottle
Canadian Plastics
Materials PackagingThe new bottles for Blue Bin wine are both shatterproof and lightweight.
Photo Credit: Amcor Rigid Packaging
Amcor Rigid Packaging (ARP) has partnered with Ron Rubin Winery for the launch of Blue Bin, said to be the first premium wine packaged in a 750mL bottle made from 100 per cent recycled PET (rPET) plastic in the U.S.
According to officials with Ann Arbor, Mich.-based Amcor, PET allows Blue Bin’s bottles to have several environmental advantages when compared to traditional wine packaging, including a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, global warming, and other environmental impacts.
“Additionally, PET wine bottles are lighter and shatterproof, allowing wine enthusiasts to enjoy Blue Bin at places they previously may not have been able to, including at the beach, by the pool, camping and other outdoor activities,” the company said.
Glass bottles account for 30 per cent percent of wine’s carbon footprint – the single largest environmental impact across the value chain of the product. A wine bottle made from PET is 85 per cent lighter than one made from glass and has one-third the Greenhouse Gas emissions.
Ron Rubin Winery, located in Sebastopol, Calif., conducted a two-year assessment of wine packaging to develop the Blue Bin bottles, which feature Plasmax technology, a thin glass layer preventing the wine from ever touching the rPET, fully protecting the taste and quality.
“Plasmax is a thin, glass-like oxygen barrier on the inside of the bottle. This protective barrier holds the wine, while the PET bottle holds the shape,” says Jonathan Jarman, Amcor Rigid Packaging marketing manager for spirits and wine.
Blue Bin is available now in four 2022 vintage varietals: Vin Rosé, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
