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ThePackHub Innovation Zone Snapshot

Trend Tracking: Paper bottles are getting traction and here’s why

The packaging industry is constantly seeking sustainable alternatives to single-use packaging materials. The search for innovative solutions to replace plastic is ongoing, and The Innovation Zone is closely monitoring the switch to various materials in pursuit of improved sustainability.

One of the latest and most intriguing solutions we’re tracking is the development of paper bottles. They are quickly gaining attention as an alternative to traditional packaging materials such as glass, plastic, and aluminium. Some question the introduction of paper bottles as an alternative material particularly if there is a plastic lining used, which can negate the ‘plastic-free’ headline these solutions often aim to garner.

However, paper bottles are made from renewable materials, and are recyclable and biodegradable, making them a potentially effective tool in reducing carbon footprint particularly compared to glass. They are also lightweight and unbreakable, easily transportable, and can be customized in shape and design to meet specific product needs.

As consumer demand for environmentally friendly products grows, paper bottles are emerging as a viable and exciting solution for the packaging industry. While concerns about the use of plastic liners must be addressed, the potential benefits of paper bottles in reducing the industry’s impact on the environment make them a promising innovation.

1. PA Consulting and PulPac launched the Bottle Collective to industrialize a low-cost, high-speed dry moulded fibre recyclable bottle process, with the aim of replacing single-use plastic bottles for various products. Fibre bottles use less water and have already been prototyped, with brand partners working to scale production by 2025.
2. Distillery 98’s Half Shell Vodka, sold in a Frugalpac paper bottle, uses recycled paperboard and food-grade inner pouch, with 77% less plastic and five times less carbon footprint than glass. The vodka is filtered through Gulf oyster shells and reflects the Florida coastline’s ecology.
3. SUPA Innovations developed a world-first paper bottle for eco-mate laundry and washing up liquids, with an internal seaweed and natural plant latex coating for biodegradability. The bottle is compostable or recyclable, avoiding a plastic lining.
4. Cullen Packaging’s Fibre Bottle is a fully recyclable moulded pulp product for dry goods, using natural and recycled materials and a closed-loop recycling system. The product could potentially replace 270m single-use plastic bottles annually.
5. P&G is trialing paper bottles for Lenor’s Fabric Conditioner with Paboco and Albert Heijn, gathering feedback to develop a fully recyclable paper bottle at scale to reduce the carbon footprint of packaging. The bottle is made from FSC-certified paper fibres with an inner layer of recycled plastic.

In conclusion, the packaging industry’s search for sustainable alternatives to single-use materials is ongoing, and paper bottles are emerging as a promising solution. Whilst their relative sustainability needs to be challenged and concerns about plastic liners must be addressed, the use of renewable materials, recyclability and biodegradability make paper bottles a potentially effective tool in reducing carbon footprint.

With developers continuing to innovate and explore and improve sustainable paper bottle packaging. this area looks set to continue to grow.

ThePackHub’s Refillable & Reusable Packaging Compendium Volume 2 is out now. The most comprehensive reuse packaging trend summary available. Find out more and order here.

ThePackHub Innovation Zone Snapshot

Trend Tracking: recycling initiatives are increasing and this is why

The number of recycling initiatives posted to our Innovation Zone platform continues to be impressive. We’re tracking many examples and have already posted 129 recycled content or recyclable initiatives since the start of 2023.

The desire for recyclable packaging results from several factors, including ongoing environmental concerns, various regulations and pacts, technological advancements and consumer pressure to deliver more sustainable packaging. On that last point, 85% of US consumers strongly believe in recycling, according to the Recycling Partnership. A survey conducted by Amcor, indicated that most consumers (76%) desire to increase their recycling efforts, with recyclability being the most important sustainability factor in packaging that concerns them. Research from Kantor last year shows that 60% of consumers are seeking “better plastic choices”.

2 Fedrigoni Self-Adhesives have released a range of 100% recycled fibre labels with 30% rPET liners, designed for high-performance applications where wet strength technology is required, such as wine and beer bottle labels. The group aims to double the volume of sustainable items in its product portfolio by 2030, and the 100% Recycled Premium Papers are FSC-certified.

3 Polytag have developed a low-cost and easily retrofitted two-part UV tag reading solution in collaboration with researchers at the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre. The UV tags will provide packaging lifecycle data to key stakeholders in the supply chain, and retailers Co-op and Ocado have already partnered with Polytag. Co-op’s two-litre own-brand spring water bottles will have UV tags printed on their labels and be detected by Polytag’s UV tag reader at the Abergele Recycling Centre in North Wales.

4 Vinventions recently launched the Nomacorc Ocean closure made from Ocean-Bound Plastic (OBP), which is collected under ethical and profitable conditions certified to Zero Plastic Oceans standards to prevent marine pollution. Two partnerships have been forged with Donnafugata Estate in Sicily and Maison Bouey in France for their wines.

5 Tesco have partnered with Keep Sea Blue to incorporate a minimum of 30% Recycled Seaside Plastic (RSP) into the plastic packaging for its fish products, including salmon, haddock, cod, and sea bass lines. The RSP is collected within 10km of the Mediterranean Sea from beaches, coastlines, and coastal communities. The PET packaging will be sorted, ground, washed, and recycled for food-grade packaging materials.

In summary, these innovations are typical of the initiatives we are tracking in the Innovation Zone and demonstrate the continued focus on recycling in the packaging industry. ProAmpac’s ProActive Recyclable R-2050 and Fedrigoni Self-Adhesives’ 100% recycled fibre labels provide sustainable alternatives to conventional packaging without sacrificing performance. Polytag’s UV tag reading solution offers a way to collect packaging lifecycle data. Vinventions’ Nomacorc Ocean and Tesco’s partnership with Keep Sea Blue to incorporate recycled seaside plastic in its fish product packaging demonstrates a commitment to reducing the use of virgin plastic using plastic destined for the sea. These initiatives highlight the industry’s efforts to move towards more sustainable packaging via recycling efforts.

We expect this recycling trend is expected to continue into the foreseeable future.

ThePackHub’s Refillable & Reusable Packaging Compendium Volume 2 is out now. The most comprehensive reuse packaging trend summary available. Find out more and order here.

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