Coca-Cola sell drinks in paper bottles
The prototype of the more sustainable Coca-Cola paper bottle moves from the lab to the market this summer with a limited online trial in Hungary.
The company's Brussels-based R&D team is working with the Danish startup Paboco on the project, with the ultimate goal of paper bottles that can be recycled.
The planet is teeming with plastic waste, including consumer products, such as plastic bottles that are being used and disposed of quickly, often making their way into landfills, lakes and the ocean.
Consumers are increasingly turning to more environmentally friendly products, which reduces meat consumption and reduces personal waste.
Not surprisingly, Coca-Cola is looking at fully recyclable bottles, which may one day replace regular plastic bottles.
The company plans to supply 2,000 bottles of AdeZ, which are being sold online through the Kifli.hu website.
Paboco developed the technology to make this bottle, in which the plastic substitute features a biomaterial as a cardboard-like exterior barrier, made using sustainably sourced wood.
The bottle has a recyclable plastic liner that holds the drink, as well as a plastic cap.
According to the company, the outer surface of the paper is designed to resist oxygen, carbon dioxide and liquids, which means it can be used with other consumer products, such as beverages, beauty products, and other liquid goods.
The test launch of the drink in these bottles gives Coca-Cola an opportunity to see how it survives in a real-world environment and how consumers respond to changing the bottle.
Daniela Zahariea, Director of Supply Chain Technology and Innovation at Coca-Cola Europe, said: The experience we are announcing today is a milestone for us in our quest to develop a paper bottle.
"People expect Coca-Cola to develop and bring new, innovative and sustainable types of packaging to the market, which is why we partner with experts, such as Paboco, openly testing and conducting the first market trial," she added.
The innovation supports Coca-Cola's sustainable packaging goal of a world without waste by collecting and recycling every bottle or can it sells by 2030, while drastically reducing the use of primary packaging materials and using 100 percent recyclable packaging materials.
Realizing this vision requires investing in innovation and collaborating with partners to drive sustainable collection, recycling and design.