Plastic-free, paper-based bottle for spirits developed

Diageo, makers of Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff and Guinness, has announced the creation of the world's first ever 100% plastic-free paper-based spirits bottle, made entirely from sustainably sourced wood. The bottle will debut with Johnnie Walker, the world's number one Scotch Whisky, in early 2021.

Diageo has launched a partnership with Pilot Lite, a venture management company, to launch Pulpex Limited, a world-leading sustainable packaging technology company.

Not only for spirits, the technology will be developed further for use by FMCG companies in non-competing categories including.  For this, Pulpex Limited established a partner consortium with Unilever, and PepsiCo; other partners are 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.

Pulpex Limited has unveiled 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.

Ewan Andrew, Chief Sustainability Officer, Diageo PLC, said: “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."

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'.

Richard Slater, Chief R&D Officer, Unilever, said: "We believe in tackling plastic waste through innovation and collaboration. We are going to halve our use of virgin plastic at Unilever, reducing our use of plastic packaging by more than 100,000 tonnes in the next five years. Joining forces to develop and test paper bottles is an incredibly exciting step forward, and we're delighted to be working together to tackle one of the biggest environmental challenges of our time."

Simon Lowden, Chief Sustainability Officer, PepsiCo, said: "Innovative solutions and partnerships are critical to driving meaningful progress toward a circular economy. The Pulpex consortium is well positioned to deliver sustainable packaging at scale and across industries, having impact beyond what any organization could achieve alone. We're proud to be a part of it."

Sandy Westwater, Director, Pilot Lite said, "We're thrilled to be working with global brand leaders in this consortium. By working together, we can use the collective power of the brands to help minimise the environmental footprint of packaging by changing manufacturing and consumer behaviours."