Derek Geldard wrote:
On Fri, 8 Feb 2008 09:40:11 -0000, "Mary Fisher"
wrote:


"Doki" wrote in message
...


Glass isn't particularly green - containers are relatively bulky and
heavy, meaning you could get more into plastic containers, and save
on transport costs. Even if the plastic doesn't biodegrade, it is
at least small...

Wine is beginning to be bottled in plastic. It's the future.


Correction : It's the past.

20 Years ago a visiting engineer from France came to our company and
explained that "Vin Plonque" was cheap wine that came in 2 litre
plastic bottles.

Bacteria can readily grow on the internal surfaces of plastic bottles.
If the contents are wine the alcohol may supress them to some extent.

Indeed they can, just as in a glass container. Initial sterility is the
issue.


As can readily be determined by taking a taking a drink from a small
plastic bottle of spring water. It might well have been 50 million
years old but within 2 days it will be tainted.

Of course; spring water is not sterile, likely to contain more bacteria than
mains water. Mains water has chlorine ( or other chemicals) to maintain
sterility.