The Co-Op is launching what it believes to be the world's lightest 70cl spirits bottle weighing only 298g. Made by Ardagh (formerly Rockware), the bottle has been developed and produced and is already being used for the Co-Op's own-label whisky. Designed to reduce manufacturing costs, cut carbon emissions and minimise the amount of glass being used in packaging, this bottle is the first commercially available 70cl glass container to come in at lighter than 300g. The Co-Op plans to expand the use of the design to spirits other than whisky. Spirits products form one of the UK's biggest consumer sectors of glass packaging, using more than 500,000/tpa. Sales of spirits through ordinary retailers, as opposed to bars and pubs, continue to rise, so demand for glass packaging in this sector is growing.
