Are Paper Bottles a Step towards More Sustainable Future?
Plastic pollution - a catastrophe for our planet.
Can we consider paper bottles to be a good alternative to plastic and glass packaging? More than a million plastic bottles are sold worldwide every single minute. And even though some of these disposable bottles go to recycling, significant portion of them remains in the fields and in the oceans. It takes at least 450 years for a plastic bottle to completely degrade, so imagine the impact on the environment.
Therefore currently many companies are working on this problem. As a result, we widely use various paper-based flexible packaging for many different applications, but also more and more paper is replacing plastic for rigid cups and plates, food containers, cutlery, and even straws. And now, drinking from paper bottles is becoming a reality.
Paper bottles solution
Paboco was created with the idea to design “the world’s first 100% bio-based and recyclable paper bottle”. Started in 2019, Paboco is a joint venture between the paper-packaging materials developer BillerudKorsnäs and bottle manufacturing specialist Alpla. Grown from the innovation company EcoXpac, Paboco aims to solve many scientific, technological and design challenges to create a bottle from sustainably sourced wood and bio-based barriers that will be able to handle even carbonated beverages.
In 2021 Coca‑Cola will start the production of a paper bottle prototype based on Paboco’s extra-strong paper shell technology for their fruit drink AdeZ in Hungary. The current prototype still contains a recyclable plastic lining. However, “it is the next and following paper bottle generations barriers that will create a truly sustainable alternative”. Pacobo expects to present their improved, fully bio-based paper bottle with a new advanced paper closure already in 2023.
Paper bottles instead of heavy glass
Fruit drink in a paper bottle has already debuted on the market. And how about pouring a glass of wine from a paper bottle? Frugalpac is another company specializing in sustainable packaging that created Frugal Bottle made from 94% recycled paperboard with a food-grade liner to hold wine or spirits. Resulting in a lighter than a normal glass bottle which is better for the environment, with a lower carbon footprint.
Sounds like a new era in beverage packaging. Are you excited to see these new bottling technologies in your neighborhood supermarket?
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