Absolut Vodka has announced its latest initiative: the first global spirits brand to sell single-mould paper-based bottles commercially in the UK. This three-month test, sold at Tesco, is part of Absolut’s journey to create a fully bio-based bottle and reduce CO2 emissions. The paper bottle project is also part of a wider collaboration with sustainable packaging leader, BillerudKorsnäs.
Unlike previous tests, this trial will test the higher alcohol content of Absolut Vodka (40% ABV) instead of Absolut Mixt ready-to-drinks (5% ABV). The 500ml-sized single-mould paper bottles are made from 57% paper with an integrated barrier of recyclable plastic. These bottles will be sold in 22 Tesco stores across Greater Manchester throughout the summer for the price of £16. The end goal is for the paper bottles to complement Absolut’s glass bottle, not replace it.
The paper-based bottles are eight times lighter and easier to carry than standard glass bottles. The initiative aims to gain insight from consumers, retailers and supply chain partners to help move Absolut closer to its vision of a fully bio-based bottle. Customers can easily recycle the packaging as paper through normal household waste.
Elin Furelid, director of Future Packaging at Absolut, has shared that the move is a “step closer” towards Absolut’s vision of a fully bio-based bottle. The goal of the initiative is to create packaging that has a completely different value proposition. Bold partnerships with like-minded organisations are going to be crucial to Absolut’s net-zero journey.
AbsolutVodka is on track to become a carbon-neutral product by 2030. In November 2020, it announced plans to use a partly hydrogen energy-fired glass furnace for large-scale bottle production in collaboration with Ardagh Glass Packaging.
The launch of the paper-based bottles marks a significant milestone in the drinks and packaging industry’s journey towards a more sustainable future and highlights Absolut’s leadership in driving innovation towards more environmentally friendly food packaging solutions.
