If you love beer but hate the idea of the toll the packaging it comes in and the process of making it takes on the environment, you might be pleased to know that Carlsberg has created the world’s first paper beer bottle. Hopefully, it will make a big difference in reducing carbon emissions.
- The bottle is part of Carlsberg’s Together Towards Zero program. The initiative aims to reduce its “full-value-chain carbon footprint” by 30% and reach zero carbon emissions by the year 2030. This paper bottle is the first step in making that happen.
- So far, it’s just a prototype. Carlsberg created two prototypes for the green fiber bottle, with both being made from “sustainably sourced wood fibers” with an inner barrier that keeps the liquid from leaking out. The bottle has been in the pipeline since 2015 but has only been put in motion.
- Carlsberg is committed to making this work. As Myriam Shingleton, VP of group development at Carlsberg, said in a statement, “We continue to innovate across all our packaging formats, and we are pleased with the progress we’ve made on the Green Fibre Bottle so far. While we are not completely there yet, the two prototypes are an important step towards realizing our ultimate ambition of bringing this breakthrough to market. Innovation takes time and we will continue to collaborate with leading experts in order to overcome remaining technical challenges, just as we did with our plastic-reducing Snap Pack.”
- They hope other companies will follow suit. Shingleton added, “The work with our partners since 2015 on the Green Fibre Bottle illustrates that this kind of innovation can happen when we work together. We’re delighted that other like-minded companies have now joined us as part of Paboco’s paper bottle community. Partnerships such as these, ones that are united by a desire to create sustainable innovations, are the best way to bring about real change.”
- It’s unclear when these bottles will hit store shelves. Since these bottles are just prototypes, they likely have to undergo a bit more testing before they’re suitable for selling to consumers. However, this is the first step in the right direction, so we have some environmentally-friendly package to look forward to in the near future.