As somebody who has to haul several empty bottles down to the recycling point every day, and then schlep another couple of full wine bottles back up the many stairs to my apartment, I love the idea of UK-based Martin Myerscough's paper wine bottle.
The bottle consists of a paper outer and a foil-bladder inner, and works like those foil-lined boxes of wine that get harassed mothers through so many afternoons. It also weighs one tenth of the weight of a glass wine bottle – 55 grams vs. 500 grams.
Recycling bottles is fine, but it takes a lot of energy to do, not to mention the transport of full bottles to stores and empties to the recycling plant. Paper is not only greener, but lighter.
Myerscough has already managed to sell a paper milk carton into one of Britain's biggest supermarket chains, ASDA, so it's possible that this could actually take off.
The biggest problem might be you, the customer. Wine drinkers like bottles, and even now turn their noses up at clearly superior screw tops and plastic corks.
Me? I have decided to take advantage of a great service in Spanish bodegas (wine stores). You take in an empty plastic bottle of any kind and they'll fill it straight from the barrel. The wine is good, and both cheaper and lighter than the bottled stuff.
Could a paper wine bottle design really work? [Design Week]
