South Australian wine producer Nepenthe Wines has rolled out a packaging overhaul aimed at addressing a long-standing recycling issue in the industry. The initiative—timed with World Environment Day 2025—focuses on fully removable aluminum capsules, developed in collaboration with packaging manufacturer Interpack. The move seeks to resolve the bottleneck in recycling processes caused by traditional wine sleeves, which are rarely separated from bottles at sorting facilities.
Despite both glass and aluminum being highly recyclable, when left attached, the combined materials often lead to whole bottles being rejected from recycling streams. Aluminum's sustainability potential is well documented—over 75% of aluminum ever produced is still in use—but only if properly sorted. The newly introduced tearaway capsule system allows consumers to separate packaging components easily, improving the likelihood of both materials reaching the appropriate recycling pathways.
This change comes as part of a wider sustainability strategy at Nepenthe, following a 2023 life cycle analysis that identified packaging as a key area for improvement. Storage stability and wine quality were tested over a three-month trial period before the full rollout, ensuring the design shift didn’t compromise product integrity.
Alongside the new closures, Nepenthe has updated its bottle design for the Altitude and Elevation ranges, moving to lighter-weight glass to reduce carbon emissions during transport. The company has also shifted to using 100% recycled-content labels across its portfolio and is testing recycled glass content for its APEX line. However, limited supplier capabilities in Australia currently cap recycled glass content at around 70-90%.
The packaging update supports the company’s broader “Naked in the Vines” initiative, which combines packaging changes with consumer-facing campaigns across digital and retail channels. By including removal instructions directly on the new cap design, Nepenthe highlights the importance of usability in driving consumer participation in recycling efforts.
