In a huge effort to reduce plastic waste, Coca Cola is all set to trial a paper bottle.
Available for the first time in the summer of this year, the paper bottle will be tested in Hungary with Coca Cola’s plant-based drink called AdeZ.
In this trial phase, it will be available to 2,000 customers of the online grocery retailers, kifli.hu., to check how it performs and how customers will respond to it.
The bottle is being developed as a collaboration between Coca‑Cola’s Brussels Research and Development laboratories and The Paper Bottle Company (Paboco), a Danish startup supported by ALPLA and BillerudKorsnäs, in cooperation with Carlsberg, L’Oréal and The Absolut Company.
This prototype is made from an extra-strong paper shell that still contains a recyclable plastic lining and cap. However, the final goal of the company is to create a bottle which does not have the plastic liner.
“The trial we are announcing is a milestone for us in our quest to develop a paper bottle”, said Daniela Zahariea, Director of Technical Supply Chain & Innovation for Coca‑Cola Europe.
“People expect Coca‑Cola to develop and bring to market new, innovative and sustainable types of packaging. That’s why we are partnering with experts like Paboco, experimenting openly and conducting this first in-market trial. It’s part of delivering on our World Without Waste goals”, she said.
This is part of an ambitious plan for the company to reach 100 per cent recyclability and zero waste till 2030.
Admitting that the technology is still in process, Stijn Franssen, Coca‑Cola’s EMEA R&D Packaging Innovation Manager, who is leading the project said, “This is new technology and we are moving in uncharted territory. We have to invent the technical solutions as we go along.”
This news comes a few days after Coca Cola launched new bottles made out of 100% recycled materials in the United States.
Unfortunately, the organization has consistently been ranked as the biggest plastic polluter in the world. However, such initiatives reinforce that it is becoming more environmentally conscious in recent times.
Isn’t this truly a fantastic move by the beverage company?
