Why we switched to Plastic
In recent years, plastic has been on the nose and has been seen as the main culprit to many of the earth's environmental issues. I too was solid on this idea when we began the process of creating Goldi. Reducing as much plastic as I could in my life to prevent the ever increasing amounts of plastic found in our ecosystems. It was this we had in mind when we decided on our first heavy but beautiful glass bottle. So what changed my mind? In short, finding out more about PET plastic and seeing the wine industry reconsider.
After much research and deliberation. I have come around to the idea that it’s time to smash the glass ceiling and accept that PET Plastic is a sustainable choice for our bottles.
The very first iteration of Goldi!
Sustainability can sometimes seem like a never ending minefield trying to get through with different routes all posing their complexities, however it has never been more important.
We think of glass as a sustainable, recyclable product, but it is more complicated than that. Forged in the flames of a furnace, it is energy-intensive to produce, transport and challenging to recycle, requiring colour separation, sorting and no breakage.
The main advantage with PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) plastic bottles is its weight around 85 percent lighter than its glass equivalent. This means it has much less of a carbon footprint when transported compared to glass bottles.
They are also more durable than glass bottles so require much less additional packaging.
PET plastic like glass bottles doesn't need to be made from virgin material. The bottles can be made from fully recycled material and be recycled without degradation into new bottles or other objects. We can source the plastic for these bottles from anywhere including oceans or environmental clean ups.
The PET recycling facilities in Australia are fantastic with many using solar power and producing P.ET plastic bottles meaning in future we can source them from within Australia and not have to rely on heavy imported glass.
But What of the taste?
P.E.T Plastic is food grade and doesn’t leech any chemicals under normal storage conditions or affect the flavour of food. It has a moderate barrier to oxygenation so the shelf life is limited to 19-21 months from bottling. This means, in terms of olive oil, unlike wine, fresher is best. Nobody should be storing away their olive oil for later, it doesn’t get better with age, it is there to be used and enjoyed.
We also have fully recyclable EVOO tins available which allows you to buy in bulk and refill your current bottles.
We can’t wait for you to try our new squeeze. The bottles are a delight to use, fun and allow for the precision needed when drizzling and measuring.
When testing these I had both our bottles on our bench top and found myself reaching for the squeeze bottle each time.
While plastic and glass bottles can both be seen as sustainable options when used in the right setting we believe that the PET Plastic bottles are a better and more sustainable choice for us now.
Please let us know if you have any feedback or questions we love hearing from you:)