A NORTH-EAST milk bottle manufacturer has produced the world’s lightest four-pint bottle.

Nampak Plastics, in Consett, has created the 32g Infini bottle, which is being trialled in the fridges of Marks and Spencer, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s.

The company said the highdensity polyethylene carton, named the Best Dairy Packaging Innovation at the Global Dairy Congress, will bring significant environmental benefits, including a marked reduction in resin used by milk packaging manufacturers.

Eric Collins, Nampak Plastics managing director, said: “The Infini bottle has been responsible for a paradigm shift in milk packaging, using considerably less material and more recycled plastic than has ever been achieved before.

“ Feed - back has been extremely positive and we know from extensive research that consumers prefer the design to the standard bottle.”