Carlsberg unveiled a paper beer bottle last week. By doing so, the Danish beer brewer says it is the first in the world.
The paper bottle is made of sustainable and recyclable wood fibre and is part of Carlsberg's Together Towards Zero initiative. Its goal is to reduce CO2 emissions to zero by 2030 and reduce its overall 'carbon footprint' 30 per cent. The Danish Carlsberg Group is supported by other major international companies in the initiative to create more sustainable packaging by improving the technology used for the paper bottle.
Two new prototypes
Carslberg unveiled two new research prototypes of the 'Green Fibre Bottle'. Both are made of sustainably produced wood chips, fully recyclable. There is a protective layer on the inside of the bottle that allows it to hold beer. A thin recycled PET polymer was used for one of the prototypes and a 100 per cent bio-based PEF polymer for the other. The prototypes will be used to test the protective coating technology to bring Carlsberg's ambition closer: Using 100 per cent bio-based bottles without polymers.
"We continue to innovate in all our packaging forms we are pleased with the progress we have made so far with the Green Fibre Bottle," said Myriam Shingleton, Vice President Group Development of Carlsberg Group in a press release. "Although we are not yet where we want to be, the two prototypes are an important step in our ultimate ambition to bring this breakthrough to market. Innovations take time and we will continue to work with key expert to address the latest technical challenges, just as we did with our Snap Pack, replacing the plastic casings of our multipacks.'
New partners
Carlsberg kicked off the paper beer bottle project in 2015, with support from EcoXpac, packaging company BillerudKorsnäs and scientists at Denmark Technical University, among others. The joined forces resulted in the creation of Paboco®, a paper bottle company and collaboration between BillerudKorsnäs and bottle manufacturer ALPLA. Carlsberg is joined by Coca Cola, The Absolut Company and L'Oréal in a dedicated 'paper bottle community'. This community brings together leading international companies and experts with the vision of developing sustainable packaging and offering high-quality products with less environmental impact.
"The work we have done with our partners since 2015 shows that such innovations can succeed if we work together," Shingleton said. "We are very happy that like-minded parties have joined our community. That way, we can really make a change. We are driven by our constant pursuit of improvement to create more sustainable packaging solutions that help people live a more sustainable life. Sometimes that means completely rethinking how things are done - pushing the boundaries of existing technologies and overcoming technical challenges as they arise."
Comments
Incidentally, opinions on the "innovation" are divided. Comments on LinkedIn, for example, openly question whether making paper bottles is more environmentally friendly than recycling glass. Some also think the bottle does not look attractive, while others applaud Carlsberg's attempt to reduce its impact on the world.
Source: Carlsberg/The Drink Business.
