Those who want to avoid hefty transportation costs when buying French champagne in bulk, will be pleased to hear that champagne bottles are to be made 65g lighter to reduce transport costs - thus reducing carbon emissions.

The Connexion reports that the 835g bottles could save around 8,000 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide per annum. This large decrease in emissions is solely attributed to reduced fuel consumption, caused by a lighter load.

It is estimated that such carbon savings will aid the champagne industry to lessen its carbon footprint over the next ten years by around 25 per cent. It is hoped that wine producers across France, including Bordeaux and the Dordogne will start to use the lighter bottles, making France’s drinks sector one of the most sustainable in the world.

Champagne bottles are usually heavier than wine bottles as they need to be able to cope with the pressure of 6kg per square centimetre – 835g is reportedly the lightest the bottles can be, without being prone to exploding.

The Champagne industry’s regulatory body the CIVC, has welcomed the new lighter bottles, which have been rigorously tested over the past two years to make sure that they are durable enough to stand up to the pressure of being transported long distances.

Producer Vranken-Pommery has pioneered the use of the new bottles and has been using them for all of its drinks over the past 8 years. It is expected that more companies will begin to use the bottles, promoting the ‘green’ in the drinks industry and reducing costs in this post-recession period.

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