Did you know that the French wine industry is experience a shortage of glass bottles -- and at least one winery is investigating using PET instead? That's the story from decanter.com, the Web site for Decanter, a monthly magazine based in Haywards Heath, England. "If supply difficulties persist, and prices increase, we could imagine replacing glass bottles with PET ones," Franck Crouzet, Castel Group's communications director, told the magazine.
Asked about the practicalities of switching from glass to PET bottles Crouzet said Castel, which also produces bottled water and beer, was already equipped with the necessary machinery and only needed to know French consumers would accept PET bottles. The advantages of PET bottles have recently been outlined to Castel in a document presented to the company in November 2007. Included are reduced transport, storage and breakages costs, as well ease of recycling.With all the talk over the past decade years of PET getting a bigger share of the beer market, wouldn't it be amusing if plastic ended up winning over the French wine market first?