Vetropack has received the Austrian State Prize Smart Packaging 2026 in the B2C category for its new 0.75-litre Rhine wine bottle. Weighing 350 grams, the bottle is currently described by the company as the lightest Rhine wine bottle in Europe.
The award was presented on October 1, 2026, during the Austrian Packaging Day. Compared with the conventional 410-gram version, Vetropack has reduced the bottle weight by 60 grams, corresponding to a material saving of around 15%.
According to the jury, the lower bottle weight contributes to a significant reduction in CO₂ emissions while allowing the established bottle design and existing filling processes to be maintained.
Vetropack developed the lightweight bottle through an extensive testing and development programme aimed at reducing material use without compromising stability, filling performance or product quality.
The bottle was launched in April 2026 in Olive and Cuvée colours and is manufactured at Vetropack's Pöchlarn plant in Austria. According to the company, the bottle contains around 80% recycled glass.
The reduced weight also lowers emissions related to transportation. Vetropack states that over a transport distance of 100 kilometres, the new bottle generates around 13% less transport-related CO₂ emissions compared with the previous version.
The company is also working on digital solutions for reusable glass packaging. Its system for the serialisation of reusable bottles using permanently applied Data Matrix codes was nominated for both the Swiss Packaging Award 2026 and the Austrian State Prize Smart Packaging in the "Packaging of the Future" category. The technology assigns an individual digital identity to each bottle, allowing circulation and quality data to be recorded and monitored.
Vetropack says the developments form part of its broader efforts to reduce material consumption, improve resource efficiency and increase transparency within reusable packaging systems.
