Driven by Paboco, a joint venture between BillerudKorsnäs and Alpla, the project is designed to create and industrially produce 100% recyclable bottles made of wood cellulose with a bio-material based barrier capable of resisting liquids, CO2 and oxygen, and suitable for liquid goods such as carbonated and still drinks, beauty products and more.
To date, the high barrier properties (the ability to withstand gas permeability) required for the bottle are provided by a thin layer of PEF (polyethylene furanoate) by Dutch company Avantium. PEF is a 100% plant-based and recyclable polymer. Thus, it is possible to fully recycle the Paper Bottle by separating the paper and PEF.
Building on years of experience, the development journey towards a sustainable paper bottle first met with success in 2015 when Danish company ecoXpac presented a first paper bottle for beer, in collaboration with Carlsberg Group and BillerudKorsnäs.
To explore further development and commercial opportunities of such paper bottles and bring sustainable progress to the bottling industry, Paboco wants to bring together leading experts in material, design and technology, and world-leading consumer brands.
“It is all about the team! We are collaborating across the value chain, sharing the risks and are united in our vision that the Paper Bottle will become a reality and fundamentally change this industry for good”, says Mrs. Gittan Schiöld, interim CEO of Paboco.
Each of the brands pioneering the Paper Bottle project will develop and design their own paper bottle to meet the needs of their category.
