Coca-Cola will test its paper bottle prototype in Hungary with 2,000 consumers. Announced several months ago, Coca-Cola's paper bottle has been produced as part of a partnership between scientists at Coca-Cola's research and development centre in Brussels and the Danish company The Paper Bottle Company (Paboco).
The Danish company Pacobo, a joint venture between paper and cardboard packaging manufacturer BillerudKorsnäs and bottle specialist Alpla, presents itself as a pioneer in the transformation towards sustainable bottle packaging.
The bottle is not 100% paper, but Coca-Cola says. The prototype consists of a paper shell with a plastic liner inside and a recyclable plastic cap. The brand nevertheless specifies that its ambition is to make a bottle that is totally recyclable like paper.
The Coca-Cola Group was recently accused by the environmentalist association Greenpeace of being the biggest plastic polluter in the world with 3 million tonnes of plastic per year.
Many major food brands are now announcing measures to reduce or even eliminate plastic from their packaging. Brands such as Absolut Vodka or Johnny Walker whisky have already announced the design of their paper bottles.
According to figures from the Plastics Atlas published in March 2020, 10 million tonnes of plastics end up in the ocean every year. By 2050, this could contain more plastics than fish.
