The 100% plastic free paper-based spirits bottle is made entirely from sustainably sourced wood.
Diageo has announced creation of world’s first ever 100% plastic free paper-based spirits bottle. It has been created through a new partnership with Pilot Lite, a venture management company, to launch Pulpex Limited, a new sustainable packaging technology company. To ensure that the technology can be used in every area of life, Pulpex Limited has established a partner consortium of leading FMCG companies in non-competing categories including Unilever, and PepsiCo, with further partners expected to be announced later in the year. The consortium partners are each expecting to launch their own branded paper bottles, based on Pulpex Limited’s design and technology, in 2021.
“We’re proud to have created this world first. We are constantly striving to push the boundaries within sustainable packaging and this bottle has the potential to be truly ground-breaking. It feels fitting that we should launch it with Johnnie Walker, a brand that has often led the way in innovation throughout its 200 years existence,” comments Ewan Andrew, Chief Sustainability Officer, Diageo PLC.
Pulpex Limited has developed a ‘first-of-its-kind’ scalable paper-based bottle designed and developed to be 100% plastic free and expected to be fully recyclable. The bottle is made from sustainably sourced pulp to meet food-safe standards and will be fully recyclable in standard waste streams. The technology will allow brands to rethink their packaging designs, or move existing designs into paper, whilst not compromising on the existing quality of the product.
Pulpex Limited’s technology allows it to produce a variety of plastic-free, single mould bottles that can be used across a range of consumer goods. The packaging has been designed to contain a variety of liquid products and will form part of Diageo’s commitment towards Goal 12 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: ‘Responsible Consumption and Production’.
Making bottles from glass consumes energy and creates carbon emissions. The idea with paper based bottles is that customers would be able to drop them straight into the recycling.
Drinks companies have been developing paper bottles to try to cut down on pollution and make products more sustainable. Carlsberg is in the process of developing a paper beer bottle. UK firm Frugalpac produces paper wine bottles which it says are made from recycled paper with a “food grade liner”. However, drinks giant Coca-Cola recently expressed that it would not ditch single-use plastic bottles because consumers still want them.
Diageo said its bottles will be made by pressurising pulp in moulds which will then be cured in microwave ovens. The bottles will be sprayed internally with coatings that are designed not to interact with the drinks they will contain. Many paper cartons contain a plastic coating inside to prevent leakage. Diageo paper bottles, however, will be 100% plastic free, doing away with even that leak preventive plastic coating.
