Wine packaging is going through a bit of a glow-up. First, screw tops replaced corks, then goon bags became cool, before wine took a page out of beer’s book, arriving in can form and being poured from taps behind the bar.

The next incarnation is wine in flat, plastic bottles.

It’s a bit to get your head around, but think a larger version of a flask. There’s still 750ml of the good stuff, but when you turn the bottle on its side, it’s only 4cm wide – which makes it thin enough to slip into the back pocket of your jeans. Super-handy if you’ve forgotten to bring a shopping bag to the bottle-O.

The new packaging for the Taylors One Small Step range and Banrock Station wines could be nicknamed flat pack wine, but they’re a heck of a lot more enjoyable than assembling IKEA furniture.

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Sure it’s gimmicky, but there’s also a strong sustainability angle.

Compared to glass, the packaging by Packamama is 83% lighter in weight and 32% more space-efficient. In another win-win for the environment, it’s made from 100% recycled plastic and is 100% recyclable.

These eco-bottles are also freight-friendly. Because they’re lighter and slimmer than a regular glass wine bottle, twice as many fit in a standard wine case, so it’s more efficient to transport and reduces carbon emissions.

Accolade Wines launched the eco-flat bottle two years ago in Europe and believes improving the carbon footprint of the wine industry is important because viticulture is one of the most climate-sensitive agricultural businesses.

So far, so worthy. But the real benefit of these plastic bottles is that they’re pretty much unbreakable, which makes them perfect for picnics, road trips and drinking by the pool. No glass, no breakages, no wasted wine.

Taylors One Small Step eco-bottle Chardonnay and Shiraz, and Banrock Station eco-bottle Pinot Grigio and Pinot Noir are available to purchase from Liquorland and First Choice Liquor for $16.

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