In September, Diageo and PA Consulting teamed up to launch a 90% paper-based bottle for the iconic Johnnie Walker Black Label whisky brand. To find out more about the product – including how the companies are looking to bring it to commercial scale, and the claim that it could emit 47% less carbon than standard glass solutions, we spoke with the experts at PA Consulting and Diageo.
Some of our readers may have missed this news when it was initially announced – could you give us a brief summary of what’s happening here?
Diageo announced a first-of-its-kind, 90% paper-based bottle trial for Johnnie Walker Black Label exclusively at its Johnnie Walker Princes Street’s 1820 bar, in Edinburgh. Created in partnership with PA Consulting (PA), as part of the Bottle Collective with PA and PulPac, this is Diageo’s first paper-based 70cl bottle trial in the on-trade.
The trial began in September and will assess how bartenders interact with and pour from the bottle, and how the bottle fares in a bar environment. A total of 250 paper-based bottles will be used with the trial set to run until mid-October.
This will be the second paper-based bottle trial from Diageo and PA, following the success of the Baileys paper-based bottle mini format (80ml) trial, using a similar Dry Molded Fiber innovation, at the Time Out Festival in Barcelona earlier this year.
Could you give us an idea of the CO2 impact of this product and how it is being measured?
The trial bottle is made from 90% paper and a very thin plastic liner. The innovative technology makes the paper-based bottle approximately 60% lighter, with initial external life cycle analysis on the prototype showing an up to 47% potential reduction in carbon emissions, compared to the Johnnie Walker Black Label glass bottle equivalent. These results were determined by a Life Cycle Assessment report carried out by an independent external specialist*.
The solution consists of a paper-based outer with a plastic lining. How exactly is it recycled – what does that process look like?
The Johnnie Walker Black Label paper-based bottle for this test is made from 90% paper and a very thin plastic liner and is designed considering recyclability among other aspects. The plastic liner is designed to not require consumer or bartender disassembly, as it is not attached or bonded to the outer paper layer, assisting recycling facilities to separate without disrupting the recycling process**.
The stopper used for trial purposes is not recyclable, however alternative solutions are in development. Throughout the trial and further development of the paper-based bottle, the recycling capability will be a key factor for future versions of the bottle as we continue to test, learn, and develop.
Could you give us a behind-the-scenes look at how the product was created/the R&D process?
PA’s team of material scientists, packaging designers, mechanical engineers, and process automation experts worked to create the product and associated process. This was done in coordination with the wider Bottle Collective members as well.
Working closely with Diageo and PulPac, PA focused on building on the technical learnings from the consumer trial of the Baileys paper-based bottle at the Time Out Festival in Barcelona.
One of the biggest challenges was pioneering a larger and more complex, asymmetric shape for Johnnie Walker Black Label. We also needed to design a paper-based bottle that would convey premium quality and elegance, delivering the same standard of user experience as its glass bottle equivalent.
Plus, these bottles had to survive and thrive in a live bar setting, with bartenders using these bottles as they would any other to create luxurious cocktails.
It has taken just six months to go from final design to the bar trial, with the first prototype parts created only three months ago. A standout feature of the bottle is its closure, crafted from a combination of cork and similar Dry Molded Fiber technology used for the bottle.
The fiber top of the closure is embossed with incredible detail of the iconic Johnnie Walker Striding Man logo, showcasing the decorative potential of this technology.
We see a lot of stories about paper-based bottles, but we’re yet to see many on shop shelves. What are some of the difficulties of scaling up solutions like this, and how are you planning to overcome them?
The global shift towards sustainable packaging is a huge change which requires innovative ideas and a range of creative solutions. Some of the difficulties in scaling up these solutions is ensuring they can be manufactured at high scale, low cost, and have buy-in from across industry.
Dry Molded Fiber can meet those needs with the combined support of the underlying technology owner in PulPac, a growing ecosystem of converters who can create these parts, equipment builders who see the opportunity and are building these machines, and a growing cadre of fiber, liner, and barrier innovation.
To accelerate scale, PA and PulPac launched the Bottle Collective and Blister Pack Collective, bringing together world-leading food, drink, pharma, consumer health, and packaging businesses, such as Diageo, Sanofi, Haleon, Bayer, and Logoplaste.
Pooling the collective efforts and resources from major players in the industry has helped accelerate progress in getting this packaging in the hands of consumers – and soon on shop shelves.
What does the future hold for this solution – will it ever be fully plastic-free?
We are continuing to test and develop the bottles. As with the consumer trial of the Baileys mini bottles, we will take away further learnings from this test. The Johnnie Walker bottles feature a new type of bottle closure, which is made from a combination of cork and similar Dry Molded Fiber paper technology.
This is a step forward in reducing the plastic used on the bottles, and we will continue considering solutions that can aid this. Work is also ongoing regarding recycled fiber content and non-agricultural waste fibers.
In addition, the beauty of the Bottle Collective is that it’s a process that is flexible and adaptable by design. So, as the world continues to invent and innovate new non-plastic liners and barriers, we can easily incorporate those into our existing process. We also know that a number of product formulations will not need a plastic liner at all and could use our technology today.
*“These results were determined by a Life Cycle Assessment report carried out by an independent external specialist indicating potential Climate Change (kg CO2 eq.) savings of up to 47% compared to the 70cl glass Johnnie Walker Black Label bottle. The savings are to be confirmed as we continue to test, learn, iterate and refine the technology, post the trial and prior to scaled versions.”
**“Dry Molded Fiber bottle prototypes have been shown to be suitable for recycling in standard paper mills through the CEPI test method. We received some positive results from initial tests of prototypes from a large recycler in the UK, ongoing tests with leading waste management companies and recyclers are continuing in UK and other/EU markets. Recyclability to be confirmed for future trials and any scaled launch of the bottles, as we continue to test, learn and iterate, if need be and will remain a key design consideration.”
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