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Margaret River wine region unveils nation’s first Lightweight Glass Packaging Charter, recognising wineries that use lighter glass bottles, averaging less than 420 grams for 750ml still wine.
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Wine packaging accounts for 44% of the wine sector’s carbon footprint.
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The Margaret River Wine Association Lightweight Glass Packaging Charter aims to reduce these emissions by over 20%.
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Seven wineries are already full signatories, ten more are expected to join by the end of the 2025-2026 financial year.
The Margaret River Wine Association (MRWA) has launched its new Lightweight Glass Packaging Charter – a region-first initiative aimed at tackling one of the industry’s most significant sources of carbon emissions: glass packaging.
According to industry body Wine Australia, wine packaging accounts for 44% of emissions associated with wine production from grape to end-of-life packaging. Wineries that make the simple and impactful switch to lightweight glass can be part of the solution by helping reduce these emissions by over 20%.
Unveiled in early 2025, the charter already includes seven wineries as full signatories using lightweight bottles across their production, including Pierro Wines (which has used lightweight glass since 2012), Evans & Tate (since 2019), and La Kooki (since 2021). An additional ten wineries have provided a ‘statement of intent’ to become full signatories by the end of the 2025–2026 financial year. To become a full signatory, members must commit to an average bottle weight of less than 420 grams for all 750ml still wines.
MRWA CEO Amanda Whiteland stated, “We are committed to continuous improvement, and one part of that is driving the adoption of lightweight glass for Margaret River wines. Supporting our members in this transition is a key step in our broader sustainability efforts and lowering emissions in the wine industry.”
Wine Australia identified reducing glass weight as one of three key strategies in its 2023 Emissions Reduction Roadmap, which outlines a projected 42% reduction in carbon emissions by 20230, with lightweight glass playing a central role in achieving that goal.
Although Margaret River accounts for only 2% of Australia’s wine grapes, the region’s 175 wineries collectively produce around 30 million bottles of wine each year. MRWA estimates that switching the entire region to lightweight glass could save approximately 3,000 tonnes of glass annually.
“Even small changes can have a big impact,” said MRWA Sustainability Officer, Kate Morgan. “Just by making wine bottles lighter, we could save enough glass to equal the weight of the Sydney Opera House roof.”
Jilyara Wines is one of ten producers to sign a statement of intent and is well on its way to achieving the charter’s targets. The winery plans to reduce the bottle weight by 30%, saving 175 grams per bottle, or eight tonnes of glass per year. Some of its new packaging will be up to 44% lighter.
Michael Peterkin, Winemaker and Founder of Pierro, has been using lightweight glass bottles across the majority of his wines since 2012. “It made sense”, said Peterkin. “If you’re trying to reduce your greenhouse gas emissions, the big kahuna is glass. You can do everything else, but you’re really not achieving all that much unless you take care of that one.”
This is the first Australian-led initiative of its kind, and it aligns with growing international momentum, including the UK-founded Sustainable Wine Roundtable Bottle Weight Accord. As retailers and consumers become more informed, perceptions are shifting away from outdated perceptions that heavier bottles are an indicator of the wine’s quality.
“We’ve found that when we tell customers we use lightweight bottles, they’re genuinely interested, sometimes surprised, but it creates meaningful conversations about sustainability beyond the vineyard and winery. In recent vintages, to raise awareness, we’ve even added a message to our labels: ‘Committed to sustainability, we use lightweight bottles to reduce our carbon footprint. It’s what’s inside the bottle that matters, ” said Eloise Jarvis, Winemaker at La Kooki.
The Lightweight Glass Packaging Charter is one of several sustainability measures being led by the MRWA, which also supports its members in achieving Sustainable Wine Growing Australia certification across vineyards, wineries, and wine businesses.
For further details on the MRWA’s Lightweight Glass Charter and other sustainability initiatives, visit margaretriver.wine. The full list of Signatories and Statements of Intent are below:
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Full list of Signatories:
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Statement of Intent (EOFY 25-26)
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