Lightweight glass bottles for Obikwa wines

(L - R): Tania Kotze, Jacques Rossouw and Sune van der Merwe

"For every 1000 lightweight bottles produced in comparison to the standard 450g bottle, the reduction in carbon dioxide equivalent emissions calculated according to the company's independently verified emission data, amounts to 109kg," says Jacques Rossouw, environmental manager for Distell. He has been working closely with the UK-based Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) and Consol Glass in search of solutions to effect sustainable wine production.

The use of lightweight wine bottles holds many benefits for the environment by reducing raw material usage, minimising energy consumption and green house gas emissions during production, and a decrease in overall weight in terms of storage and distribution.

Taking its commitment to a sustainable environment beyond the use of ultra lightweight glass, the wine range adheres to eco-friendly practices from the vineyards to the final bottling process. In terms of the vineyards, all its grape producers must comply with the requirements of the Integrated Production of Wine (IPW), the industry standard for environmentally sustainable practices across the full production chain. All its wines are sealed with recyclable aluminium screw cap closures and only environmentally friendly, biodegradable packaging materials are used.

All its wines from the 2010 vintage onwards, will carry the new Sustainability Seal issued by the Wine & Spirit Board. A guarantee of eco-friendly production, every seal carries a unique number linked to a sophisticated tracking system throughout every stage of the supply chain to confirm the integrity of the product

The brand is currently available in 43 countries and is one of the biggest South African wine brands in Canada and Australia. The range retails countrywide at leading stores at around R23 per bottle.