Have you ever seen wine in a plastic bottle? Well, there won’t be much longer it will take for you to notice them. And if you are already in the wine industry, you may have already seen this emerging trend of wine. So, how did this new trend emerge in the first place, and why it is going viral everywhere? Typically glass wines are not any new and it is the general way to store any beverages including wine. However, even though you have not noticed it yet, using all these glass bottles is not good for the environment at all. In fact, not only for the environment there are far more economic reasons behind it. So, let us dive a bit deeper and find out what is the science of storing wine in plastic bottles.
First things first: The birth of plastic bottles of wine
So as you may know before plastic bottles of wine, glass bottles were initially there. Are these glass bottles the very first wine-storing medium? Let us time-travel back to the 18th century and find out more about glass bottles and the history of wine packaging attempts. Back in the day, glass bottles were not much used in terms of storing any beverages. However, around the 1820s although the shape of the bottle is slightly different than what you are using, glass bottles of wine invade the wine industry. And this is how everything came to be. So initially, what was there even before the emergence of glass bottles?
Difference from the current glass or plastic bottles, in ancient times, wine was transported with a bulk of barrels or kvevri and amphoras to its destination. And you may have already seen in historic movies people drank from near the source which is a wine barrel. At the same time, in certain cases, people use wineskin as a temporary storage medium.
Let us move forward to the future. After the arrival of the glass bottles of wine and beverages, there have been attempts of finding new storage mediums to replace the glass bottles. To be exact, there are two reasons behind this. Although glass is reducing oxygen ingress it is quite heavy and is difficult for consumers to carry around. At the same time, glass bottles have a tendency to break which makes it difficult to transport them. This is how the latest development of box wine and the most recent advancement, plastic bottles of wine came into the shelves of your local store.
Pave a way to go green
So, what is this sudden boost of interest in plastic wine bottles in the community? In fact, the plastic that is used for wine storage medium is non-other than PET. Does that name ring a bell? Using PET bottles means only one thing. That’s unlike glass bottles there will be less to zero chances of impacting nature. This new alternative is quite easier to recycle and ideal to tackle the carbon footprint of wine. One of the most critical problems of using glass bottles for beverages is non-other than its sustainability concerns. Do you how long it will take to degrade a glass bottle? Surprisingly it will take around one million years, to degrade the glass bottles completely.
Here’s another fact for you to know. Do you know that each wine bottle that you used contributes heavily to the carbon footprint? And glass bottles are heavy which will require more fuel in terms of transporting them to their desired destination. And in terms of manufacturing, the manufacturers will have to burn more fossil fuels which is a necessity. Although glass bottles are recyclable just like PET bottles, glass bottles release carbon amidst the recycling process which is another problem to deal with.
All of the above reasons made the usage of plastic bottles for wine to become newsworthy, especially for environmentally conscious people out there. Moreover, previously plastic wine bottles were relatively smaller than the standard size. However, now you will be presented with standard-size plastic wine bottles unlike before.
Possible obstacles in the way!
Almost everyone loves this new way of packaging, especially youngsters. However, just like any of the packaging methods, plastic bottles do have certain obstacles in their hands. Unlike glass material, plastic allows for oxygen ingress and eventually leads to oxidation. You know the rest of it. This is not good for both consumers and manufacturers. You won’t have the taste that you desire as the oxidation will make the wine lose its color and flavor altogether.
As you may know, the reputation of plastic is tainted due to possible health concerns that come with it. Now is the time to address the health complications of plastic in terms of storing wine. There is a discussion going on whther there is a possibility of plastic to leach phthalates out of PET wine bottles. The reason is phthalates can mess with the endocrine and hormone signaling of our body. However, it is been revealed that phthalate does not do that as the chemical form of phthalate is different. So, PET bottles are safe for one’s health and are free of health concerns.
Where to get the plastic bottles for wine?
After reading the above factors, you will find yourself infatuated with this new packaging of wine. Since plastic is lightweight you can carry out the bottle in your bag without much of an issue. If you have your own winery consider adding plastic bottles for your packaging medium. Remember that it is not only environmentally advantageous but also beneficial in economic ways. However, before getting started make sure to find a high-quality plastic bottle manufacturer in the first place. And a change of packaging will open new doors to success in your ongoing business journey.
