Old wine in new plastic bottle

A plastic wine bottle that looks and feels like glass helped its maker to clinch the supreme award at the North Shore Business Excellence Awards last night.

LinkPlas' mini "Pettle" bottle, served on airlines and at other safety-conscious entertainment venues, is one of the innovations behind the plastic manufacturer's success.

The Takapuna company rose to the challenge held out by Air New Zealand five years ago to develop a plastic wine bottle with the aesthetics of glass so passengers would not suspect it was an imposter.

LinkPlas spent four years developing and testing the bottle to ensure the shelf life of 12 months and integrity of the wine was achieved.

The 187ml bottle weighs 34g versus the glass equivalent of 154g - a saving of 120g a bottle. As well as saving on weight and fuel, it also helps to improve inflight service and safety.

Although LinkPlas was not the first to produce a plastic wine bottle, no other manufacturers have been able to match the Pettle's shelf life or its close resemblance to glass.

The company specialises in making custom-designed plastic containers for food and drink as well as for industrial, personal and health care products.

Managing director Steve Morrison started the company in 1998. It has grown steadily and now operates 24 hours a day, six days a week, with a full-time staff of 15.