Vetropack is once again making waves in the sustainable packaging industry.
Following a 2023 Swiss Packaging Award win for their innovative lightweight glass bottles, the company has received another prestigious nomination – this time for their 0.33-litre reusable bottle in the “reusable packaging / reusable systems” category. This isn’t just another award contender; it represents a significant leap forward in sustainable beverage packaging.
For years, the weight and fragility of glass bottles have posed challenges for reusable systems. Transporting heavy glass repeatedly back to bottlers significantly increases carbon emissions. Vetropack has ingeniously overcome this hurdle by developing a process to thermally harden lightweight glass, creating bottles that are both robust and significantly lighter than traditional counterparts.
Launched in Austria at the beginning of 2024, these innovative bottles are now a standard solution for the entire Austrian brewing industry. The result? A 30% reduction in weight translates to substantial emissions savings in logistics. Furthermore, these durable bottles achieve approximately 20% more refill cycles compared to conventional containers, dramatically reducing waste and environmental impact.
This success isn’t solely down to the bottle itself. Vetropack collaborated extensively with partners like Brau Union Österreich to optimize the entire reusable system, ensuring compatibility with existing crates, pallets, and logistics infrastructure. Several prominent Austrian breweries, including Gösser, are already reaping the benefits of this sustainable solution.
The Swiss Packaging Award judges recognized the exceptional value of this system, considering factors like material recyclability, consumer convenience, process efficiency, and overall ecological advantages. This second nomination for Vetropack’s innovative glass technology – following their 2023 “Technology” category win – underscores the substantial economic and environmental benefits achievable through the implementation of robust, lightweight, and reusable glass packaging. Vetropack continues to demonstrate leadership in the movement towards a more sustainable future for the beverage industry.
Source: Vetropack with additional information added by GlassBalkan
