Annual usage of imported glass by the champagne and sparkling wine category in the UK could be reduced by over 10% to 81,000 tonnes, according to new research by Wrap.

Doing so would save the sector £2.8m in material costs and achieve a reduction in CO2 emissions of 7,231 tonnes, Wrap claims in its report 'Examining the potential for glass lightweighting in the sparkling wine sector'.

The report states that it is technically feasible to lightweight packaging in the champagne and sparkling wine sector by as much as 30%, which equates to a 25,000-tonne reduction in materials and a £7.5m cost reduction.

"Standard 900g champagne bottles can already be supplied at 100g lighter and still comply with all technical and performance criteria," Wrap key account manager Nicola Jenkin told Packaging News.

"A similar or better scale of reduction can also be realised to manufacturing sparkling wine bottles of below 575g. The glass industry has the technology to do this; it's up to the brands to take advantage of it."

By identifying manufacturers of lighter-weight bottles in each of the key wine producing countries, Wrap has attempted to broker new supplier relationships.

In the UK, Ardagh has produced a 546g bottle for an established sparkling wine.

Head of group marketing Sharon Crayton said the bottle manufacturer was "ready now to put a 400g bottle for sparkling wine onto the market once a brand signs off on it".