Absolut vodka could soon be sold in bottles made of paper. This is in any case the ambition of the Swedish brand of the Pernod-Ricard group. And this project has just taken an important step forward.
2,000 prototypes of this paper bottle will be submitted to consumer tests in England and Sweden. The company then plans to launch a second pilot production next spring, according to the company Environment + Energy Leader .
This cellulose bottle, which should be more environmentally friendly than glass, is the result of more than a year's collaboration between The Absolut Company and Paboco. Paboco ("PAper BOttle Compagny") is a joint venture founded in 2019 by the brewer Carlsberg with the packaging company BillerudKorsnäs and the bottle specialist ALPLA. The Coca-Cola Company, The Absolut Company and L'Oréal subsequently joined them.
The prototype, manufactured by moulding, is made of 57% FSC sustainably sourced paper and 43% recycled plastic barrier. "Together with the team at BillerudKorsnäs, we have developed a pulp formula with a solid fibre network that maintains the full strength of the bottle, allowing us to apply a thin barrier layer to prevent the transmission of water vapour and oxygen." explains Paboco.
This bottle is recycled through existing paper and PET streams by separating the materials.
"However, the prototype is for testing purposes only... Our goal is to make the final bottle as easy to recycle as possible. The prototype is one of the many steps the paper bottle will have to go through to be made entirely of bio-based materials." stresses The Absolut Company.
Other containers of this type are under development, such as the green Fibre Bottle for Calsberg Beer or the frugal wine bottle made from 94% recycled cardboard .
