January 15, 2026 12:41
In the future, supermarket shelves could make room for wine bottles made from PEF, the bio-based polyester produced by Dutch company Avantium.
UK-based Packamama has reserved part of the production capacity of polyethylene furanoate (PEF), marketed under the Releaf brand, to be supplied by plants that will be built using Avantium’s licensed YXY technology. The process converts plant-based feedstocks into FDCA (2,5-furandicarboxylic acid), from which biopolymers such as PEF can be produced.
With plants in Europe and Australia, Packamama operates internationally in the production of lightweight, shatterproof and recyclable bottles made from recycled PET (rPET). The bottles’ distinctive flat-pack design optimises space during transport and storage, further reducing emissions along the supply chain.
To support this development, Packamama has obtained a grant of AU$1 million from the Australian government under the Business Research and Innovation Initiative (BRII), with the aim of advancing the decarbonisation of wine packaging in Australia.
“Packamama is delighted to partner with Avantium to bring the plant-based polymer releaf into our wine bottle solutions,” said Santiago Navarro, CEO and founder of Packamama. “We have been searching for a material that meets our performance standards and sustainability requirements, and is made from plants. We believe that releaf offers a unique combination of high performance, environmental responsibility, and appealing consumer messaging.”
At present, 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA)—the monomer used to produce PEF—is manufactured at a 5,000 tonnes-per-year demonstration plant that Avantium inaugurated at the end of 2024 in Delfzijl, the Netherlands.
Releaf PEF, which is in many ways similar to PET, offers good barrier properties and mechanical strength and can be processed at lower temperatures than PET, resulting in energy savings. Although it is not biodegradable at end of life, the use of renewable feedstocks lowers the material’s carbon footprint and that of the packaging produced from it.
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