This month Marston's beer bottles will appear on shelves around the country somewhat slimmer - thanks to a 22 per cent weight loss.
The company has introduced a new lightweight 500ml bottle for its range, representing a glass saving of more than 1000 tonnes per year and an associated CO2 saving of more than 650 tonnes.
Nicola Jenkin from WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme), a Government-funded organisation that encourages and enables businesses and consumers to be more efficient in the use of materials, said: " This is a great achievement by the team at Marston's and illustrates the current move within the beer sector to rightweight branded ale bottles. It will deliver major environmental and supply chain benefits."
Marston's reviewed the design of its bottle with manufacturer O-I, to align with the company's Corporate Social Responsibility policy and developments elsewhere in the ale sector. The re-design has also had the benefit of reducing the bottle diameter to meet retailer requirements for shelf-ready packaging.
The re-design also presented the opportunity for enhancing the embossed Marston's logo of three Burton Union barrel-ends, and the incorporation of an extended Government Health warning on drinking when pregnant or trying to conceive in the revised labelling.
Marketing director Peter Jackson said: "As a company we need to lead by example and take action to reduce our environmental impact. The introduction of lightweight bottles to the Marston's brand, ahead of the majority of the market, I hope will encourage other bottled drinks brands take similar steps. The redesign has meant we have also had the chance to add the extended Government Health warning to the bottles."