Eco-friendly wine packaging

US company Chalone Wine Group Ltd is shipping its first-ever vintage of Syrah in cases containing newly developed eco-friendly partitions manufactured from recycled paper.

The packaging was designed in conjunction with Regale, a Californian-based packaging company, and is manufactured using a patent-pending tooling and manufacturing process. All the raw materials used are post consumer paper waste, such as corrugated boxes, newsprint and office paper, and water.

Chalone is contributing to the recycling effort by sending all of its old office memos and newspapers to Regale to be used in making the eco-friendly case partitions. The process converts 22 pounds of waste paper into 66 sets of case partitions.

Moulded fibre has been used for packaging since the 1890s - the traditional egg carton being the most common example. However, its large volume requirements and high tooling costs made it virtually impossible for smaller industries to use moulded fibre packaging. The advantage of Regale's process is it cuts tooling costs by 90 percent. This means that tools are built in two to three days versus two to three months, tool change time is reduced from days to hours and the drying process is cut by 40 percent.

For Chalone, the new partitions will reduce costs, eliminate label scuffing, cut the number of assembly pieces per case and lower overall case weight, compared to cartons used in the past. Eventually, all of the company's estate wines will be shipped in this eco packaging.