Stora Enso scales up production of fibre-based bottles with Pulpex
Premium Beauty News (Photo: Stora Enso)
23 May 2021
Finnish paper maker Stora Enso has started supplying Pulpex with the materials required to
test large-scale production of paper bottles. Pulpex is a joint venture between Diageo (which owns brands like Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff and Guinness) and Pilot Lite (a venture management company). Last year, Diageo announced a cardboard bottle for its Johnnie Walker brand as early as 2021. With this in mind, the two companies are focusing on
developing a high-speed production line which is expected to be operational in 2022.
To produce these bottles and containers, Stora Enso uses sustainably sourced formed fibre product manufactured by pressing various wood-based pulps into a three-dimensional shape in a moulding machine.
Absolut replaces plastics from bottle necks as part of paper-based bottle development
The Absolut Company has unveiled the latest milestone in its mission to create a fully paper-based drinks bottle, having replaced the plastic used to shape bottle necks, with a bio-based barrier.
The company is now seeing if bio-based materials can work as the barrier inside the bottle. Image: Absolut
Last year, the Absolut Company announced a trial of 2,000 paper-based bottle prototypes across Sweden and the UK, to test the viability of paper as an alternative to single-use plastics in beverage applications.
The first prototypes were made up of 100% recycled content, with 57% paper and 43% recycled plastic, with the latter used to create a barrier layer for the bottle.
Good things in new bottles
The formed fibre products are manufactured by pressing wood-based pulps into three-dimensional shapes.
17th May 2021
Stora Enso, headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, and UK-based Pulpex, have joined forces to industrialise the production of paper bottles and containers made from wood fibre pulp.
Pulpex is a sustainable packaging technology company established by Diageo, the maker of Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff and Guinness, and Pilot Lite, a venture management company.
Produced with sustainably-sourced formed fibre pulp, the partnership says that its bottles and containers could enable a significantly lower carbon footprint compared with glass or PET.
The formed fibre products are manufactured by pressing various wood-based pulps into a three-dimensional shape in a moulding machine. The focus of the partnership is now on developing a high-speed production line which is expected to be operational in 2022.
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Dive Brief:
Pulpex, a packaging technology company co-founded by Diageo, has partnered with Finnish renewable materials company Stora Enso to mass produce 100% recyclable bottles and containers made from sustainably sourced, formed wood fiber pulp. The companies plan to have a high-speed production line operational in 2022.
Pulpex will use Stora Enso s formed fiber material to create paper bottles for global brands in applications including alcohol and nonalcohol beverages and liquid foods, along with home and personal care products. The Pulpex bottle can be embossed, labeled and colored, according to the companies.
Diageo and PepsiCo have committed to using Pulpex technology in their packaging as founding partners of a consortium of CPG companies who together plan to produce 750 million paper bottles per year. This latest partnership would help advance that effort, and could assist both beverage companies in meeting their broader sustainable packaging goals.