BLOG IN A BOTTLE

Did you know that on average, every Italian consumes around 37 bottles of wine in a year? And almost all (9 out of 10) prefer to buy wine in glass bottles. To meet that demand, almost 2.2 billion glass bottles are needed every single year!

In November last year, Assovetro – the Italian Association of glass producers – organised a tour of the area around Florence to enable journalists to discover the importance of the relationship between wine and glass. The tour began with talks from two experts in the field: Marco Esti, Associate Professor of Enology (the study of wine to you and I) at the University of Tuscia; and the renowned Italian food and wine sommelier, Adua Villa. Both presented scientific evidence that showed the taste and sensory characteristics of food and wine are best preserved by the neutral properties of glass.

In Empoli, the journalists had the opportunity to visit the Zignago Vetro glass plant. Starting with glass scrap (cullet) which is collected locally, the plant produces bottles and other glass containers for the local wine industry. Using scrap significantly reduces emissions from the plant. Its location, close to one of Italy’s major wine-producing regions, also ensures that emissions from transportation are minimised.

The tour continued at the Lamole di Lamole winery in Greve (Chianti), just 40 km from the Empoli plant. Here the journalists got to see the glass bottles produced at Zignago Vetro being filled with some of the very fine Chianti the winery is famous for. Naturally there was a tasting – this is Italy after all – the country where the relationship between glass, wine, and life itself is best enjoyed!

Since February 2010, Kansas City couple Zach Noland and his girlfriend Meghan Sundermeier have been attempting to live a zero-waste lifestyle. And to date they have been very successful. One of the easiest ways they have found to reduce their waste is to take their own glass jars and reusable cloth sacks to their local whole foods store. The couple simply fill the reusable containers with the products they need. They also buy their milk in glass bottles which can be returned and refilled.

The glass jars and cloth sacks also provide handy containers around the home. Noland’s cupboards hold cloth sacks and glass jars filled with dry goods and cereal. There are no cans, plastic bags or other packaging in sight. Glass containers are also reused in the refrigerator to hold leftovers. In a typical week, the couple produce less than a handful of waste which must be disposed of in the rubbish.
Noland and Sundermeier were inspired to try a zero-waste lifestyle by Béa Johnson who runs the Zero Waste Home blog. Johnson’s blog contains a wealth of tips and recipes for anyone interested in reducing their waste. They include buying in bulk, shopping at local farmers’ markets, and using natural cleaning products such as baking soda and vinegar.

Johnson believes that to successfully live a zero-waste lifestyle you need to follow the 4R’s approach: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle only as a last resort. Of these, Sundermeier believes refusing excess packaging is the most important: “You have to refuse. That is the most important strategy. Refuse, refuse, refuse.”

Glass is the greenest packaging material according to a report by Chloé Hecketsweiler which was published in the French magazine L’Expansion late in 2011. Using five criteria (raw material cost, carbon footprint, recycling rates, impact on health and cost to consumers) Hecketsweiler sought to quantify which packaging material was the greenest using data relating the French market. Over all five criteria, glass packaging scores 17/25, well ahead of plastics at 13/25.

Glass Ahead in Recycling

On average, every French person adds 86 kilograms of household packaging to the waste stream each year. When comparing plastic and glass, Hecketsweiler notes that 75% of glass packaging containers are recycled in France, but that just 20% of plastic containers find their way to recycling centres. Hecketsweiler believes consumers find it easy to recycle glass as it simply needs to be sorted into clear and coloured glass. By comparison, there are many different types of plastic and it is impossible to treat each type in the same way.

Glass Reduces Emissions

Hecketsweiler notes that less energy is used and less CO₂ is emitted if recycled glass is used to create new glass. However, she bases her emissions calculation on the use of 100% virgin materials and does not take into account the major progress manufacturers have already made to reduce the weight of bottles.

A European Life Cycle Assessment for glass bottle production shows that, on average, every tonne of recycled glass saves 670 kg of CO₂. Increasing the amount of recycled glass in the furnace by 10% decreases energy use by 3%. When glass is recycled, there is no need to produce, process and transport the virgin raw materials or to transport them, so less fuel is used. Glass bottles can now be produced with up to 100% recycled content – infinitely. This is certainly not the case for plastics.

Glass is Healthy

An area where glass shines is in terms of its health properties. Bisphenol-A (BPA), a component of many plastics, has been found to disrupt the hormone system of human beings. Plastics can also contain phthalates or antimony. Baby bottles containing BPA have already been banned in the EU, and toxicologists have also raised concerns over the effects of phthalates and antimony. By contrast, glass is 100% inert – a major advantage for consumers.

Glass Protects Vital Resources

In terms of the expense of raw materials, Hecketsweiler points out that glass is made of natural ingredients which are found in abundance in nature. Glass container production efficiently uses resources and does not depend on oil. If renewable energy is available and secure, glass can be produced without the need for any fossil fuels.

By contrast, plastic is derived from oil. Around two kilograms of oil is required to produce one kilogram of PET plastic. Overall, the manufacture of plastics absorbs 4% of the world’s limited supplies of oil.

Glass Represents Real Value

While glass comes out ahead of plastics in most areas, the one area in which Hecketsweiler believes plastic can compete is price. However, her survey only covered two products in one French supermarket. As European consumers already know, most products are priced the same despite the packaging material used.

It is true that high quality products are often packaged in glass because it is the most reliable material in terms of taste preservation. Glass also guarantees a much longer shelf-life for the product, helping to reduce food waste in the supermarket and at home. That has to be good for both your purse and the planet!

Simplicity is the watchword at Sprout – a New York-based company which manufactures sustainable skincare products. So it’s only natural that when it came to design the packaging, Sprout chose clear glass bottles to show-off their wonderful range of products.

Every Sprout skincare creation is made in small batches, using locally sourced organic ingredients. To reinforce the personal commitment, each bottle is signed and dated by the person who created the batch. A simple label on the front identifies the brand and the list of ingredients – no E-numbers in small print here!

Sprout chose glass packaging for its skincare range, principally because of its inert nature – the glass does not react to the contents inside, ensuring that they remain harmless to the user. And they allow the natural colours of the ingredients to shine through – simply beautiful!

UK supermarkets are misleading consumers over pricing according to an episode of the BBC’s Panorama programme aired in December. Panorama found that consumers were being charged more for larger ‘value packs’ than the equivalent in smaller packaging. For example, the BBC found a one kilogram pack of margarine spread cost £3.20 at one supermarket, more than double the cost of two 500 gram packs at £1.50 each. At another supermarket, the same 500 gram packages were £1 each, compared to a cost of £3.70 for the one kilogram ‘value’ pack.

All of the supermarkets interviewed denied deliberately misleading consumers. However, the BBC found 17 examples of this type of pricing within 13 kilometres of the presenter’s home.

The findings make the Friends of Glass wonder about the supermarkets’ claims that glass is more expensive than other packaging materials. Many UK supermarkets are forcing manufacturers to switch to plastics, citing the additional environmental cost of transporting glass. However, they simply ignore the total emissions over the lifecycle of each packaging material. When these are taken into account, glass is far ahead of the competition.

The supermarkets are also ignoring the opinions of their customers. A survey carried out by InSites and published in May 2011 found that glass remains the consumers’ preference for food and drinks. In the UK alone, the survey found that 64% of respondents choose glass packaging for a special occasion beverage. When asked why they prefer glass, 38% of UK consumers mentioned that glass preserves the taste of the food or drink better than other materials. Longevity of the packaged product was cited as a reason for choosing glass by 30% of UK consumers, while 29% mentioned that their favourite brands were in glass packaging.

Is glass packaging also your number one? Then let’s pass a clear message to manufacturers and supermarkets that glass packaging needs to come back and stay for good. Because it’s up to all of us to question policies and raise awareness on this issue. So time to send out some letters. Are you in?  :-)

If you like to enjoy a hot drink on your journey to work in the morning, take a look at these stunning double-walled glass bottles. Aquaovo specifically thought of tea drinkers when developing their flask. Simply place your tea in the space under the lid, and add boiling water to the container. When you are ready for a fresh brew, just invert the bottle to mix the water with the tea leaves. Stylish, practical and brewed perfectly to your taste!

The double-wall of glass helps to insulate the liquids inside, keeping them warmer (or colder) for longer than containers made from other materials. The outer layer of glass stays at room temperature, ensuring the bottle is easy to hold and preventing condensation from forming. And as they are made of glass, the contents are not tainted by the packaging.

The bottles produced by Silodesign are designed more for the table. Cold drinks, hot sauces, or even soup can be stylishly served from these beautiful containers. And the contents will taste just as the chef intended!

Packaging which showcases a product’s sustainability credentials is more likely to attract the attention of consumers according to research from The Big Picture, a UK-based design research agency. The Big Picture found that shopper’s reject products with more rational designs, even if they do have the best environmental credentials.

Based on a series of in-depth interviews with consumers, the agency found that consumers judged products negatively if they perceived them as having unnecessary packaging or using materials which are not friendly to the environment. In these cases, consumers were not influenced by recycle-friendly logos or other claims on the packaging.

The research got us wondering what factors influence you when you are making a purchase decision? Is price or the packaging material more important? Do you read all of the environmental information on a label, or do you simply select products based on your perception of the packaging material? Let us know what you think by voting on the Friends of Glass Facebook page!

To celebrate the company’s 140^th anniversary, Dutch brewer Heineken has launched a global competition to find a new design for their iconic bottle. The winning design will symbolise how people around the world will connect in the next 140 years.

The competition requires you to design one half of a bottle. You then select a complimentary design from Heineken’s Facebook gallery to complete the other half. The best combination will be judged the winner and will feature in a limited edition gift pack which will be available from December in the 175 countries where Heineken is sold.

But you need to hurry as entries close on 31 January! Take a look at the video for more information and don’t forget to share your designs on the Friends of Glass Facebook page.

Most energy drinks come in garish colours that are more at home on the sports field than the table. Simply because they’re generally not considered “tableready” for exclusive venues such as hotels, restaurants and clubs. Well, not any more! New York beverage maker OSO has given us a sneak preview of the new glass bottles which will see its premium energy drink adding class to high-end bars and tables around the world.

OSO comes in two flavours: Gold and White Gold. Both use all-natural ingredients and lightly carbonated spring water from a source in the Austrian Alps. The herb Stevia provides natural sweetness for the lighter White Gold formula, without the calories of sugar.

The simple but elegant design of the glass bottle reflects the pristine clarity of the drink, its natural content and premium stature.

Fouad Kallamni, president of Premier Beverage Group, believes in the future of OSO:
“Our new packaging sets us apart from the cluttered mainstream energy drink category by providing a premium, glass-bottle design that discerning customers will be glad to enjoy.”

So tell us,  what do you think of this new packaging design? Share your opinion on our Facebook page!

One of the joys of the festive season is the array of yummy food that we get to try. But have you ever worried that your bin is as full as you are? UK website Love Food, Hate Waste estimates that 7.2 million tonnes of food are wasted each year in the UK alone. Reducing that to zero would save as much carbon dioxide as removing one in five cars off the country’s roads. The problem is so bad that the European Union’s Agriculture Committee has called on member countries to halve food waste by 2025.

One of the easiest things we can all do to reduce our food waste is to buy foodstuffs in glass. Why? Well firstly, glass containers are usually easy to reseal. You can just use as much as you need, refrigerating the leftovers until you need them. Glass is also impermeable to air, ensuring that any food you store in the glass container will be kept fresh for longer.

Websites such as Love Food, Hate Waste offer some fantastic tips for using up leftovers, especially at this time of the year. Why not try out their portion planner which makes an end to so much guesswork simply by suggesting how much to cook.  The True to Taste gallery on the Friends of Glass website also has lots of recipes you can try with leftovers. You can also submit your own suggestions via the Friends of Glass website or the True to Taste tab on our Facebook page.