Diageo 22.05.24

Diageo has announced plans to trial paper-based packaging for Baileys’ Original Irish Cream Liqueur, designed for recycling in standard paper streams.

In partnership with PA Consulting and as part of the Bottle Collective with PA and PulPac, Diageo is trialling a Dry Molded Fiber bottle that is 90% paper with a thin plastic liner and a foil seal. 

Diageo says the bottle’s design does not require the consumer to separate the plastic liner from the paper bottle when disposing. The 2,000-bottle consumer trial will be held using bottles of Baileys’ Original Irish Cream Liqueur in mini format (80ml) at Time Out Festival in Barcelona, Spain, from 25th – 26th May. 

This is Diageo’s first consumer facing trial with paper-based bottles and will test how the bottles travel from the filling site in Ireland to Barcelona, along with how consumers interact with the material, and how they understand the sustainability credentials of the paper bottle. 

In March, Diageo announced the trialling of 30,000 bottles of Baileys in an aluminium format across selected airports in Europe (Copenhagen, Amsterdam and Frankfurt), apparently anticipating a 44% reduction in carbon versus the current glass bottle. 

Diageo cites a study by BCG suggesting that, when it comes to beverages, 68% of consumers want to buy more sustainably, but only 12% do due to roadblocks including expense, lack of availability, and confusion about what is on offer.  The company says it aims to close this ‘say-do’ gap and help consumers understand the sustainability credentials of the products, including the materials used. 

Diageo is a member of the Pulpex consortium and is currently developing and internally testing its concept Johnnie Walker paper-based bottle. It is also developing a spiral-wound paper-based bottle with Filipino rum brand Don Papa. The bottle is in feasibility testing and is expected to be 90% paper based. 

Diageo is trialling lightweighting its glass bottles using a coating developed by EXXERGY. Following a successful first stage, Diageo has invested in the second round of lab testing and will work with supply chain partners Ardagh and Dassualt Systemes to complete this. 

In similar news, PA Consulting and PulPac announced that rigid packaging company Logoplaste has joined the Bottle Collective, which aims to create single-use, fibre-based bottles, as a technology partner. Logoplaste joins global companies Diageo, Haleon, and Sanofi in the Collective, which brings together brand and packaging manufacturers across industries in a bid to accelerate progress towards sustainable single-use bottles. 

Paboco recently launched full-scale production for its paper-based bottle product at its manufacturing site in Slangerup, Denmark – aspiring to produce over 20 million fibre-based bottles by the end of 2025. According to Paboco, the solution is 85% paper, with the remaining 15% consisting of an HDPE barrier; however, the exact percentages vary depending on the bottle shape and intended application.

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