Packamama has received a $100,000 feasibility grant from the Australian Government under the Business Research and Innovation Initiative (BRII), Renewables and Low Emissions Round.
The grant – part of $1.43 million for wine packaging, safe drinking water, and energy efficiency in commercial fishing – will support Packamama’s efforts to test the technical and commercial viability of creating sustainable packaging for Australian wines, including for some premium wines and longer shelf-life commercial wines.
Supported by the Department of Industry, Science and Resources, and Wine Australia, the initiative addresses a significant challenge for the wine industry: reducing carbon emissions while maintaining the high-quality standards associated with premium wine packaging.
Manufacturing wine packaging and transporting packaged wine accounted for 74 per cent of the industry’s carbon emissions in 2020-21, due to the weight of glass bottles and their energy-intensive production. Packamama aims to develope a lighter, more sustainable solution that meets consumer expectations for premium wine quality.
Packamama’s project will build upon its 100 per cent recycled PET eco-flat bottle, designed primarily for commercial wines, to test for a new packaging solution that supports some premium wine aging and longer shelf life commercial wines for export.
Key focus areas include researching polymers and performance additives to overcome oxygen permeability and aroma absorption, enhancing shelf life and wine protection; digitally simulating the bottle design and shelf-life performance to achieve the performance and aesthetic standards expected of some premium Australian wines, as welol as exploring manufacturing technologies to enable wide-scale adoption across Australia and beyond.
Santiago Navarro, CEO & founder of Packamama, said, “We are excited to lead the way in transforming the wine industry’s approach to packaging. This grant funding from the Australian Government allows us to accelerate our vision of combining sustainability with functionality to better meet the demands of more Australian wine producers and consumers, including those overseas. By moving beyond traditional glass, we can significantly reduce emissions and contribute to Australia’s net-zero goals.”
Packamama’s initiative also aligns closely with the Australian wine industry’s Emissions Reduction Roadmap, which targets a 42 per cent reduction opportunity that can be achieved by 2030.
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