Californian wineries will now be able to use the world’s first and only commercially available paper bottle for wines and spirts thanks to a partnership with Monterey Wine Company and British sustainable packaging firm Frugalpac.
Monterey Wine Company (MWC) a Californian custom wine production facility has agreed a deal with Frugalpac to see it become the first US filler for the contract filling of Frugal Bottles with wines and spirits.
Frugal Bottles are made from 94% recycled paperboard with a food grade pouch and weighing just 83g before filled and are five times lighter than glass. This means it has a carbon footprint six times lower than glass bottles. They also offer 360° branding for exceptional, impactful shelf presence.
MWC is based in the US heart of wine-production, in King City on the Central Coast of California. With over 80% of all U.S. wines produced in California, lightweight Frugal Bottles offer drinks producers the opportunity to cut their carbon footprint by 84%.
MWC is within a 200-mile radius of all California’s main appellations and the Frugal Bottle is developing a growing following in the North American market.
Recent research by Lux Research found more than 35 million Americans are interested in finding more sustainable wine packaging.
Conscious of the impact glass bottles pose to the environment, Monterey Wine Company are embarking on the “Frugal Way” to produce the recycled paper-based bottles that are the solution for minimizing the carbon footprint (throughout the entire supply chain lifecycle) from grape to table with these easily recycled bottles for the Californian wine and spirts industry.
America is already selling drinks in the paper bottle with Signal 7 Wines, Demon Spirits Rum and Half Shell Vodka. More than 32 different drinks producers from around the world have launched 100 different SKUs of wines, spirits and olive oils in the Frugal Bottle. They are available in 22 countries including Japan, North America, the UK, across Europe, Scandinavia, Australia, and South Africa.
In February this year, the Frugal Bottle with Signal 7’s bottle won Best in Class for Technical Design in Packaging Innovation and an Award of Distinction in the Sustainable Design category at PAC Global’s Packaging Awards in New York.
Alchemy Wines will be some of the first wines filled at Monterey Wine Company’s filling facility.
Monterey Wine Company’s Director of Personnel and Finance-General Manager Shannon Valladarez said: “More and more drinks brands are looking to reduce their carbon emissions and a glass bottle accounts for up to 50% of a wine’s carbon footprint.
“We’ve been hugely impressed by the success of the Frugal Bottle. That’s why we’ve decided to become the first US production facility to fill these revolutionary paper bottles for the American market.
“We think this is going to be extremely popular with California wineries looking to make their bottles more lightweight and sustainable. For example, Jackson Family Wines’ has pledged to cut its carbon production in half by 2030 and to be carbon positive by 2050.
“Moving to the Frugal Bottle will not only provide a bottle that’s five times lighter than a glass bottle but it will cut the bottle’s carbon footprint by 84% and can be recycled again. We can’t wait to play our part in helping US drinks producers make that move.”
Frugalpac CEO Malcolm Waugh added: “Three years on from the launch of our Frugal Bottle, we’re delighted to have partnered with Monterey Wine Company to offer our paper bottle to US drinks producers.
MWC will also be filling Poppy, their 2022 Monterey County Pinot Noir
“The Frugal Bottle offers a simple and cost-effective way for wineries and spirits producers to cut their carbon immediately and significantly increase sales. It offers 360-degree branding to offer maximum stand out on the shelf when surrounded by a sea of green and clear glass bottles. Customers who have moved to Frugal Bottle have in some cases seen a doubling of sales volume by including Frugal Bottle in their portfolio.
“We’ve already seen US wine brands like Signal 7 Wines successfully launch all their wines in our paper bottles and we expect others will join them.”
As well as enquiries to make 120m Frugal Bottles, Frugalpac also has strong enquiries from more than 100 other international brand, contract packing and packaging companies to buy Frugal Bottle Assembly Machines. Each machine will be able to produce 2.5 million Frugal Bottles a year.