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Are You Ready For Sustainable Wine and Spirits Packaging?

Sustainability has become a core focus across every industry sector lately, but, as lovers of the traditional, the wine and spirit industries are behind the curve on implementing sustainable glass packaging.

According to the IWSR, 48% of American alcohol drinkers say that a company’s sustainability or environmental initiatives positively influences their purchasing decisions. Furthermore, according to a report by the global decision intelligence company, Morning Consult, 7 in 10 American adults would consider purchasing from a food and beverage brand that prioritizes sustainability, the highest share across all industries.

In the face of ongoing environmental concerns, a growing number of media stories have cited the need for our industry to find a more sustainable package solution. And the call is validated by consumer demands. We are seeing the emergence of a new category of wine consumer: the environmentally-conscious consumer, who is choosing wines and spirits based on the sustainability of the packaging, among other environmental cues. 

Consumer demands and the societal importance of saving the environment go hand-in-hand but the benefits in the market definitively outweigh any potential cost-increase in glass. 

Despite the relative importance of sustainability, at least 1 in 4 say they don’t know what makes food and beverage products sustainable, while at least 1 in 5 believe efficient, low-waste packaging makes a product sustainable. 

What makes glass packaging sustainable?

There are many different elements that comprise a sustainable wine or spirit: sustainable agriculture, reducing the carbon footprint, and conserving energy usage throughout your supply chain. But there is another obvious element that goes into creating a truly sustainable product: using a more environmentally-friendly glass packaging. 

According to a California Wine Institute study in 2020, the glass packaging of a wine contributes to over 50% of the entire carbon footprint of a wine product. Of that, nearly a third of the carbon footprint of a bottle of wine is linked to the packaging and shipment of the bottle, and the remaining two thirds is linked to the manufacturing process to craft traditional glass bottles (no recycled glass).

Glass uses high levels of greenhouse gasses in its production, however, it is endlessly recyclable and never compromises in quality no matter how many times it gets recycled. 

On the manufacturing front, it takes 1.18 tons of raw material to produce one ton of glass. Cullet, which is recycled glass, can be added in varying amounts to decrease these raw materials. Recycled cullet is critical to reduce raw material use, pollutants, and even transportation costs. Our Wild Glass™ bottles are comprised of almost 100% cullet recycled glass, thus making them the most sustainable bottles on the market.

Glass weight is a top consideration when it comes to shipping, storing, and displaying wine bottles. Our Elegant Light™ bottles are made with less glass and, thus, are lighter weight, resulting in reductions in carbon emissions and considerable savings in transportation costs. In fact, they are up to 20% less expensive to ship than standard bottles.

In addition, we’ve found that it’s 10 times more efficient to transport products via water than by overland trucking and 17 times more efficient than by airfreight.

Global Package’s Sustainable Collections

Global Package LLC, has a long history of working with glass manufacturing partners around the world who are leading efforts in sustainability. Striving to be among those who led efforts in easing the environmental concerns of our industry, we have developed our own innovations in glass manufacturing.

Global Package is well known for both our distinctive 100% recycled Wild Glass™ bottles sourced from our Spanish supply partner, Estal, and our lighter-weight Elegant Light™ line of bottles, produced exclusively by Global Package.  We also stock bottles locally which reduces the transportation costs and reduces the carbon footprint of the shipping process.

Using recycled materials, lightweight bottles, and having shorter import distances, can all work towards reducing a wine and spirits packaging environmental impact. Our three bottle ranges listed below can achieve all three.

Global Package has a number of sustainable glass bottle collections to suit your wine or spirits needs.

Specialty Wild Glass

The company’s beautiful and sustainable Wild Glass™ line of bottles has become widely popular in the US and international market. 100% of the Wild Glass material is Post Consumer Recycled (PCR) glass or cullet glass and its production method reduces energy use and CO2 emissions.

These bottles are 100% recycled glass bottles that are one-of-a-kind, since slight imperfections in the natural formation of the glass are allowed to remain, while retaining all the manufacturing positives of automated glass, much like organic handmade art.

This results in fewer discards (from 25% to 10%), since the cosmetic (aesthetic) defects are accepted as part of the organic beauty of the glass, so less glass is wasted. All Wild Glass bottles retain the manufacturing standard and structurally soundness of traditional bottles yet, no bottles are discarded for having aesthetic defects. This means that bottles that would usually be classified as rejects, are used and celebrated. This efficiency creates a more sustainable supply chain.

Estal, Global Package’s Spanish supply partner, is a leader in innovative bottle design and sustainable wine glass production. We helped introduce Estal’s Wild Glass line of 100% sustainable “real cycled” glass bottles to the North American market a few years ago. 

Explore our collection of Wild Glass by Estal today. 


Global Package’s Elegant Light Line and Wild Glass glass bottle ranges are made with reduced or recycled glass. Find sustainable wine and spirit packaging options at Global Package

Elegant Light Line 

Addressing environmental concerns, Global Package has in stock the full line of Elegant Light™ bottles, lighter weight bottles that result in more economical and ecological shipping, and which come in the full range of classical shapes and colors. 

Our Elegant Light Line™ collection includes bottles for both wine and spirits, and were created to be both functional and beautiful. The innovative bottle design is lighter than a standard glass bottle, without compromising the integrity and intrinsic elegance of traditional glass bottles. The range is influenced by European design, while harnessing intelligent and innovative design of manufacturing lightweight bottles. 

Pictured below is our BG SM Essentia. Explore our Elegant Light Line™ collection for wine here, and for spirits here

Global Package Elegant Light Line Collection. BM SM Essentia

Local Stock Bottles 

At Global Package, we have local stock bottles held across our extensive network of warehouses in California, Oregon, and North Carolina. This gives you easy access to our attractive range of wine and spirit bottles, with ample quantities available to suit your particular needs. 

We hold a large variety of domestic bottles, which limits the freight distance, thus limits the carbon footprint attached to the bottles. 

Our Cassiope design for spirits is pictured below. Read more about our local stock collection for wines and spirits

Global Package's Cassiope Spirits Bottle held in local stock in California

The Estal Corkcoal 

We partner with Spanish company Estal, who are leaders in innovation and sustainability. Estal have recently launched the Corkcoal – a cork mixed with activated charcoal, utilizing two materials from natural and renewable sources. 

Searching for the most sustainable stopper for spirit bottles, Estal innovated including activated charcoal, which naturally neutralizes the undesirable substances in cork.

Key sustainability benefits to this closure include decreased waste, reduced carbon footprint and the production of the closure requires fewer washes and no chemical bleaches. 

Beyond the positive environmental impact, this also has significant functional benefits to your spirits. It eliminates TCA from the cork, which traps and neutralizes it completely. This is an unprecedented achievement. 

Read more about the Corkcoal from our supplier, Estal. 

Global Package, with partner Estal, offer Corkcoal, a sustainable stopper for spirits.

What is PCR Glass?

PCR, which stands for post-consumer recycled content, means it is reclaimed from the end-user then crushed, melted down and used again. (Other recycled content in glass comes from broken or reclaimed scrap within the glass manufacturing process itself.)

The glass recycling cycle can be repeated endlessly without damage to the end product. That makes glass a so-called permanent material, unlike plastic whose recycle life has limitations.

Post-consumer recycled or PCR glass is made from cullet, which is the powder resulting from crushed glass collected in recycling programs. Cullet gets mixed with the raw materials of glass (silica sand, sodium carbonate, calcium oxide derived from limestone, and lesser amounts of other minerals) in varying percentages, which then is melted and molded into new products.

The higher the percentage of PCR glass, the greater the reduction of environmental impact. An analysis by FEVE, the European Container Glass Federation, found: 

  • 2 tons of raw material are saved for every 1 ton of cullet used to produce glass.
  • Every 10% increase in cullet reduces energy consumption by 2.5%. 
  • Cullet improves glass quality. Melting cullet does not release CO2 or carbon dioxide, thus the glass avoids having bubbles, crystals and streaking associated with high-temperature virgin glass production. 

Global Package offers sustainable glass bottle options to the United States, Canada, and Mexico

What is Greenwashing and Why Should I Be Aware of It? 

There are many gaps to solve in the packaging problem: only 19% of consumers have “a lot” of trust in the industry to do what’s right, and just over a quarter said they don’t know what makes a food or beverage product sustainable. 

Greenwashing is when companies overrepresent the extent that their products, services, or practices are environmentally-friendly, sustainable, or ethical. It results in a false or misleading impression that the consumer has about the company, making the consumer believe the company is environmentally sustainable when they are perhaps not. 

With our product developments and research into environmentally-friendly practices, you can be certain the information is 100% representative of your sustainability efforts.

Sustainability at Global Package: 

Global Package maintains long-standing relations with factories around the world, including numerous European partners, providing custom bottles for the premium and ultra-premium markets at very good pricing, as well as stocking a wide selection of domestic bottles. Global Package offers a number of packaging solutions that addresses the needs of the wine and spirits industries, including sustainability. 

Lighter weights, less money spent on glass, less shipping costs, less carbon dioxide produced in manufacturing, due to recycled glass and lowered glass weight per bottle. Glass bottle packaging has achieved something no other industry has, affordable methods to combat climate change without hurting the market, and Global Package is at the forefront of eco-friendly, sustainable glass packaging.

We have a comprehensive portfolio of sustainable wine and spirits packaging so we can meet both your budget and expectations. Located conveniently in California, United States, with warehouses across the States and the globe, we assist both local and international brands. Get in touch with our experienced team for your next packaging project. 

 

Global Package will be attending the Napa Rise Waste Prevention & Supply Chain Event on April 12.

 

Sources 

https://wineindustryadvisor.com/2023/02/15/solving-the-wine-packaging-sustainability-issue?utm_source=AfternoonBrief&utm_medium=newsletter

https://go.morningconsult.com/rs/850-TAA-511/images/Sustainability-Report-Food-Bev.pdf

https://www.sustainablewinegrowing.org/docs/California_Wine_Executive_Summary.pdf 

https://www.winemag.com/2022/04/18/sustainable-wine-packaging/ 

 

Global Package can help with your minimalist packaging for your Napa Valley Wine or Spirits Brand. Glass bottles and packaging for wine and spirits.

Is Minimalist Packaging the Right Choice for Your Wine or Spirit Brand?

In recent years, a minimalist design approach has become a core strategy for marketers and designers. This style is characterized by the use of simple decoration, colors, and typography, appealing to consumers due to the sleek and aesthetically pleasing look. 

Producers are expected to keep up the ever-evolving consumer tastes – and this includes wine packaging. The packaging of wine is often challenging for most wine manufacturers as there are many different factors, for example the wine bottle shape and color, closure, label design, and boxes. 

There are many different reasons as to why a consumer will purchase a particular wine. Taste is obviously a significant factor, but experience with the brand and appeal of the packaging is just as important. 

When designing wine packaging, sometimes less is more. Simple packaging techniques can attract customers and be just as effective as more elaborate designs. There are two basic approaches to minimalist packaging: 

1. Choice of material 

Not every packaging choice is the right one. There are a number of considerations, to ensure the packaging is suited to your brand. It is important for the materials to be durable and of high quality, which must also be balanced with the cost effectiveness of choosing a particular material. The environmental impact is also a key consideration – it is important to be mindful to reuse and recycle wherever possible. 

2. Choice of visual design

There must be a mindful decision about the packaging design, such that it has reference to the brand’s positioning, target audience, and brand story. It is important to convey all the necessary information about the brand and the product, but doing so in a clean and uncomplicated way. 

Packaging wine properly makes your business look good, and connects you to your customers. It does not have to be overly complicated. 

3. Printing and production techniques

There are a number of techniques and formats that can be added to your wine bottle, elevating its impact. For example, you could choose to add subtle varnishes, tone-on-tone printing, blind embossing, or more. 

What Impact Does Minimalist Wine Packaging Have on Your Brand?

Simple packaging is ruling the wine industry for all the right reasons. This trend seems to be quite prominent among several wine brands, and may have the following impact:

Cost-effectiveness

Minimalist packaging typically reduces the cost of packaging. In the case of current glass bottle trends, it is often lighter than other packaging, thus you are paying less for shipping costs. In addition to your wine packaging being created based on the exact needs of your product, lightweight bottles can also be used to reduce wasted space. As it uses fewer materials, it is more environmentally friendly.

Thoughtful Packaging 

Excessive messaging and clashing colors may be overwhelming for customers, and can give off a messy feel to the brand. Being deliberate about design choices may make your packaging look more thoughtful. Depending on your brand’s positioning, a simpler and ‘cleaner’ look may be a better packaging choice. 

Influences Brand Recognition

Simplified wine packaging can make consumers pay attention to small details, which improves the package’s overall quality and separates itself from competitors. 

Unlike conventional wine packaging, which sometimes appears cluttered, minimalist packaging can enhance a brand’s image through ample display of simple designs. 

Global Package has local stock glass bottles for wine or spirits in the United States.

Tips for Making More Wine Packaging by Doing Less

While it may seem contradictory, minimalism can be a perfect approach to standing out. If you are considering changing up your packaging to make the designs more simple, take a look at the following tips. 

1. Highlight a value 

A minimalistic wine package should have a feature that stands out from the rest. You must understand your brand’s unique value proposition and focus on that. The idea is to sell your brand without overdoing it, so you must focus on a unique feature of your wine.

Explain why you think consumers should go for your brand instead of any others on the market, and amplify such reasons on your packaging.

2. Pay close attention to typography 

It is important to ensure that the combination of typography and color is easy to read and consistent with the design of the rest of the label. 

3. Simple, but innovative 

Adopting a simple and classic yet innovative design is another way to achieve a minimalist design that will resonate with your audience. Custom packages such as paper bottles or recyclable aluminum cans can be used. 

4. Partner with the right packaging company 

Minimalistic wine packaging is cost-effective and offers several benefits. Partnering with a suitable packaging company can make this packaging method more effective.

How can Global Package Help?

Minimalist wine packaging is precise, clean, and functional. It is no surprise that this packaging approach is gaining popularity among wine manufacturers and consumers.

Wine consumers seem to be warming up to this trend, meaning going minimal for your wine packaging is effective as long as it serves its functionality. 

At Global Package, we are committed to helping you choose the best packaging for your wine brand. We offer outstanding and innovative packaging solutions for your winery, ensuring your product is packaged the way you want it. If you are looking for the perfect minimalist packaging design, Global Package can help. 

Achieving your desired wine packaging is hard. It is also hard to communicate your brand the way you want to consumers, while also keeping on top of upcoming wine trends. We have a comprehensive portfolio of wines so we can meet both your budget and expectations. Located conveniently in California, United States, we assist both local and international brands. Get in touch with our experienced team for your next packaging project.

Enticing Millennials: Global Package Has Answers By Erica Harrop, CEO Global Package

In an Interesting recent article in the New York Times, entitled “The Wine Business Sees a Problem: Millennials Aren’t Drinking Enough,” author Eric Asimov cites the report “State of the US Wine Industry” by Rob McMillan, industry analyst and executive VP of Silicon Valley Bank:

“ … aging baby boomers — currently the prime market for wine — are nearing retirement age, the time of life when consumerism typically declines. Millennials, the generation that began to come of age after the turn of the century, have given no indication that they are poised to step in. They buy much less wine than boomers, and the wine industry has not done enough to entice them to become regular consumers.”

While it’s a concern that has troubled the industry for decades, few wineries (or suppliers) appear to be addressing the problem. As McMillan puts it,

” In prior reports, we noted that the falling interest in wine among younger consumers, coupled with the encroaching retirement and decreasing wine consumption of baby boomers, poses a primary threat to the business …that issue has yet to be addressed or solved, and the negative consequences are increasingly evident.”

So how do we tackle this? Let’s start with who these buyers are and what motivates them to purchase wine? Here’s McMillan again:

“Millennials grew up in a world that has been far more encouraging of connoisseurship than when boomers were young. Social media has given everybody the opportunity to exercise their critical voices, for better or worse. Millennials are a more discerning generation, at a younger age, than baby boomers were … (however) they have less disposal income.”

In addition, McMillian makes the point that this demographic is a much more diverse population: ““While only 28 percent of the boomer population is nonwhite, 45 percent of the millennial population — and almost half of Gen Z — is nonwhite.” It remains sad fact that today, even after recent movements toward racial justice, minority-owned wineries are still few and far between.

Finally, in McMillan’s report he points out that “millennial consumers are more concerned with social justice and with health and environmental issues, including climate change …A brand’s social values are increasingly connected to a consumer’s decision to purchase particular products, including wine,”

All of these trends have led Global Package to establish strong international partnerships with the wine and spirits industry’s most progressive and innovative companies. We have been at the forefront of working with leading European glass manufacturers to develop revolutionary and sustainable new designs.

A good example is our long-time partner, Estal, and its Sommelier Mouth (SM) bottles. This line includes the Essentia Burgundy, the Bordeaux, and the unique flute Espiga bottles, all of which are available in Flint and Antique and in both short and long tops. These bottles are revolutionary in their design, which includes the anti-drip barrier and groove guides to facilitate a clean, straight cut of the capsule. Production of the Sommelier bottles also has a reduced carbon footprint.

Also on the ecological front, which attracts Millennials concerned with climate change, we introduced a couple of years ago Estal’s gorgeous and environmentally-friendly Wild Glass™ line of bottles to an enthusiastic US market. These bottles are 100% sustainable “real cycled” glass bottles that are one-of-a-kind, since slight imperfections in the natural formation of the glass are allowed to remain, while retaining all the manufacturing positives of automated glass, much like organic handmade art. Estal’s process also doesn’t discard bottles with cosmetic defects, which reduces the discard rate from 25% to 15%.

Finally, Global Package offers the full complement of Elegant Light™ bottles, in classical shapes and colors. Importantly, they are lighter weight, resulting in more economical and ecological shipping.

We invite you to contact us. Our entire sales staff, on both East and West coasts, are available to answer your questions and advise on the best glass solution for your winery to meet the Millennial challenge.

Global Package, located in the Napa Valley, is experienced in supplying high-end wine and spirits glass bottles to North American markets. With a comprehensive off-the-shelf portfolio, and the opportunity for customization and decoration, Global Package can assist your brand with the most appropriate solution whatever your budget or expectations. From glass bottles, bottle decorations, pewter labels, to bar top closures and corks, Global Package can assist with your project. Start your packaging journey today by calling +1 707 224-567 or emailing info@globalpackage.net.

 

Global Package Adds to Its Beautiful Wild Glass™ Collection

Global Package LLC President and CEO, Erica Harrop, has announced new additions to its beautiful, near 100% recycled Wild Glass™ collection for wines and spirits. The new Wild Glass Dark™ collection—produced by one of Europe’s premier glass companies; Spain’s Estal—is being introduced this month and will be sold in the U.S. exclusively by Global Package.

“We are thrilled to add these new bottles to this extraordinary collection,” says Harrop. “Not only is the manufacturing process for these bottles shorter and more sustainable, it creates bottles each of which is unique and aesthetically beautiful in shape, color, and texture.”

Estal’s Wild Glass™ collection boasts a more sustainable and shorter manufacturing process by embracing “flaws” in the glass, which also tells the story of historical craftsmanship and a legacy of experimentation. “Wild” colors are unique color hues with natural variations to enhance distinctiveness. New designs being introduced this month include the Wild Glass Prima Expressione™ collection of Spumanti, Rhine, Burgundy, Bordelaise wine bottles.
Also new to the collection are the Wild Glass Rude™ spirits bottles, consisting of Lance, Farm, Pilot, Barrel, 1919, and Melee designs. This collection also allows customers efficient ways to expand and customize their bottles, from size and shape to choker diameter.

“I was intrigued by the word “Rude” in the collection name,” Harrop admits. “But I learned that it is drawn from a language being developed in today’s culture, based on asymmetry and imperfections in nature—such as knots in wood, wefts and wrinkles in textiles, veins in stone—and defects in fashion like the torn jeans so fashionable today. It’s fun to watch the Wild Glass™ collection morph into such creative new products!”
Global Package has been an acclaimed industry leader as it consistently introduces new designs into its extensive catalog of offerings, from its Elegant Light™ collection of lighter weight bottles to its opulent DobleAlto™ collection, as well as a full range of in-stock standard bottles.

Global Package, located in the Napa Valley, is experienced in supplying high-end wine and spirits glass bottles to North American markets. With a comprehensive off-the-shelf portfolio, and the opportunity for customization and decoration, Global Package can assist your brand with the most appropriate solution whatever your budget or expectations. From glass bottles, bottle decorations, pewter labels, to bar top closures and corks, Global Package can assist with your project. Start your packaging journey today by calling +1 707 224-567 or emailing info@globalpackage.net.

Global Package’s Elegant Light™ Bottles Get High Marks for Design, Sustainability, and Affordability

A couple of months ago Global Package reported the end of last year’s US International Trade Commission’s (USITC)  antidumping duty, which returned favorable pricing for Global Package’s Elegant Light™ line of bottles. Now, with new shipping challenges facing imported European glass, these bottles have become even more in demand.

“With fully stocked warehouses we are perfectly positioned to meet these challenging times,” says Erica Harrop, Founder and CEO of Global Package LLC. “Since 2008, our strong alliances with glass factories in China have enabled us not only to help design the European-style Elegant Light™ line, but also to work toward lighter weights that would reduce shipping costs, as well as to achieve a more sustainable line of bottles at affordable pricing. Today, we have achieved all three goals.”

According to Harrop, the Elegant Light™ bottles are always in stock and include nine shapes that are distinctive for their larger, straight-line necks and voluptuous curves. Included in the line is the recently introduced Bordelais Fiona Carrée bottle, which has the look of a heavier reserve bottle and features an elegantly tapered body, deep punt, and larger neck for bottling-line ease and speed. Other Elegant Light™ bottles include European-style, lighter weight 750ml and 1.5L Bordelaise and Burgundy bottles.

Harrop regularly inspects China factories to ensure they meet strict US-required quality standards, including ISO quality measures—from selection of raw materials through all production processes, including automated production lines and the design of molds—to warehousing of the finished product and shipping procedures. She also works directly with product development teams at the factories to ensure customized products meet customers’ and US quality conformance requirements.

“After decades of working with these suppliers, I have built a strong personal trust between us,” adds Harrop.  “In addition, through my decades of working with domestic and European glass factories, I have developed great respect for the issues and limitations of manufacturing. This enables me to communicate effectively within this environment.”

Global Package’s alliances with both European and Chinese factories also focus on production efficiencies, which allows the company to control costs and pass on savings to customers.