A Paper Bottle in Every Hand

Will the paper be a new sustainable method of bottle packing? Maybe it is. Paboco (The Paper Bottle Company), grown from the start-up and innovation expert EcoXpac, has developed a 100% bio-based and recyclable paper bottle.

It's no secret that plastic bottles are a significant environmental threat, and although they can be recycled relatively quickly, it would also be safer if we used fewer of them. There are also more reliable solutions, such as glass or metal-reusable bottles. However, due to convenience such as lightweight and reusable caps, consumers are still craving disposable options. Globally, around 80 billion plastic bottles are manufactured annually, 80 percent of which end up in oceans and landfills. Such bottles gradually break apart, creating micro-plastics, which are frequently mistaken for animal food, and finally, end up on our plate. The company Paper Water Bottle provides such an option in the form of a paper water bottle!

The Carlsberg Group, Coca-Cola Europe, Absolut Company, and L'Oréal joined the Paper Bottle Company. Carlsberg created the Together Towards Zero initiative, which involves a pledge to reach zero carbon emissions by 2030. Carlsberg has replaced the six-pack plastic wrap with a snap-pack, which has been able to reduce the plastic material by up to 76% relative to traditional multipacks. The Coca-Cola Company lays out a mission of moving for a "World Without Waste" that includes the goal of making all packaging 100% recyclable and ensuring that at least 50 percent of plastic bottles are recycled products. Paper bottles may also be an eco-friendly option for the beauty industry. After October 2019, L'Oréal has become the first beauty company to invest in the Paper Bottle Project and revealed the launch of a paper-based cosmetic bottle in 2020. The production of the paper bottle is already ongoing, and the commercial launch is set for 2021.

Diageo Plc (British beverage alcohol company) and Pilot Lite (an investment management firm), have founded Pulpex Limited, a renewable packaging manufacturing company. The companies developed what they consider "the world's first 100 percent plastic-free paper-based plastic bottle for spirits made exclusively from sustainably sourced wood." The bottle will debut with Johnnie Walker scotch whiskey at the beginning of 2021.

Major firms, including MARS, Incorporated, Nestlé, The Coca-Cola Company, Unilever, L'Oréal, & PepsiCo, have publicly revealed their annual volumes of plastic packaging, representing a significant step for greater transparency of today's plastic industry.

Plastic Packing Volume, in tonnes per year

Source: New Plastics Economy Global Commitment

Consumer goods producers and suppliers have committed to increasing the recycled quality of their packaging to an average of 25 percent by 2025 relative to the current global average of just 2 percent. Leading businesses and governments will end the use of harmful and wasteful plastics-including PVC and single-use plastic straws and shopping bags by the end of this year.

The Paper Bottle Company Paboco wishes to be part of the solution and dream that there is a paper bottle in every hand. While some work needs to be done, the ecological and economic promise of paper bottles is immense: packaging that can be recycled or restored to nature without damage.