Verallia, a major glass manufacturer, has a factory strategically located in Champagne outside the village of Oiry, a grand cru village in the Côte des Blancs. Aware that the champagne bottle weighs heavily on the producers’ carbon footprint, it does what it can to work sustainably.
90% of the bottles ordered by champagne producers are produced on site.
Another factor that Verallia highlights is that the champagne factory uses a high proportion of recycled glass. This can make up up to 94% of the composition of the bottles, which reduces energy consumption. The plant also stands out for its good water management. Water consumption has decreased by over 90% between 2015 and 2019.
Major investments have also been made to reduce the weight of the bottles. Verallia launched a bottle called Champenoise Ecova 2 in 2024. The bottle weighs 800 grams; a reduction of 35 grams compared to the classic champagne bottle’s 835 grams. An important step. Currently, the bottle as such still represents 28% of the champagne industry’s carbon footprint.
It has not yet been decided when the new bottle weight will be allowed in the regulatoins (which have a minimum weight provision to ensure the bottle’s durability).
Read more: verallia
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