OBIKWA, the fun loving wine range loved by many South Africans and abroad, has stuck its neck out by becoming the first South African wine to switch to ultra light weight 350g Consol glass bottles in a concerted effort to reduce its impact on the environment.
The bright yellow ostrich with its remarkable long neck on the label is a tribute to the OBIKWA people for whom the ostrich represents a life force and trusted companion. Obikwa people always aimed to touch the earth lightly for the benefit of future generations and OBIKWA wines are trail blazers in minimising their carbon footprint.
These are the lightest of all glass wine bottles available in South Africa. The new 350g Consol bottle is 100g or 25% lighter than the former OBIKWA 450g bottle. The weight saving amounts to a total reduction in carbon dioxide equivalent emissions of 654 tons per year across the entire OBIKWA range.
For every 1 000 light weight bottles produced in comparison to the standard 450g bottle, the reduction in carbon dioxide equivalent emissions calculated according to Consol Glass’s independently verified emission data, amounts to 109kg, according to Jacques Rossouw, Environmental Manager at Distell.
The use of light weight wine bottles holds many benefits for the environment by reducing raw material usage, minimising energy consumption and green house gas emissions during production, and a decrease in overall weight in terms of storage and distribution.
OBIKWA adheres to eco-friendly practices throughout the entire wine production process from the vineyards right through to the final bottling process. All OBIKWA wines are sealed with recyclable aluminium screw cap closures and only environmentally friendly, biodegradable packaging materials are used. All OBIKWA wines from the 2010 vintage onwards, will carry the new Sustainability Seal issued by the Wine & Spirit Board. Every seal carries a unique number linked to a tracking system throughout every stage of the supply chain to confirm the integrity of the product.
These are down-to-earth, adventurous wines expressing their true varietal character and rich, ethnic charm. Definitly a wine to drink for a good cause.
