Diageo Piloting Paper Packaging for Baileys

Alcoholic beverage manufacturer Diageo, which produces brands like Johnnie Walker, Don Julio, and Guinness, is piloting a paper-based packaging for its Baileys offering. 

The Irish cream liqueur will feature a 90% paper bottle with a thin plastic liner and foil seal. The trial run will allow the company to gain insights about how consumers understand the sustainability strategy and interact with the new material, and how bottles travel from the filling site in Ireland to Barcelona. 

“When it comes to our packaging, we’re taking an approach of progress over perfection, knowing our packaging will need to evolve along with consumer needs and technological advancements,” said Ewan Andrew, president of the company’s global supply chain and procurement, and its chief sustainability officer. “The consumer is becoming more sustainability savvy and we believe we can meet that need using our design and innovation to bring premium products and more sustainable solutions together.”

• Also read: Diageo Transforming Captain Morgan and Smirnoff Distribution With Circular Packaging Strategy

Sustainability vs Quality

Consumer goods manufacturers have long battled the challenge of designing a sustainable packaging option that keeps quality intact. 

For example, a recent Wall Street Journal article reported companies have often encountered obstacles in creating a paper bottle that doesn’t get soggy and keeps drinks fresh. Thus far, it said, companies have mainly had to rely on an internal plastic barrier to prevent leaking.

CPGs have gotten imaginative as result, with companies like Keurig Dr Pepper experimenting with plant-based materials. Last year, Mars Inc. piloted a paper-based packaging for its Mars bar with U.K. retail partner Tesco. 

“For Mars bar, the challenge was to find the right paper packaging solution with an adequate level of barrier properties to protect the chocolate whilst guaranteeing the food safety, quality, and integrity of the product to prevent food waste,” said Richard Sutherland-Moore, packaging expert at Mars Wrigley U.K.’s Research and Development Centre in Slough, at the time.

Additionally, Nissin Foods is replacing its polystyrene cup with a new paper design for its Cup Noodles made of 40% recycled fiber, no plastic wrap, no polystyrene, and a sleeve made of 100% recycled paper.

Johnnie Walker and Don Papa may be the next Diageo brands to see a fully developed paper-based bottle, as the company continues to test the format. Filipino rum brand Don Papa is currently testing a 90% paper-based bottle that also gives the illusion of being a gift box. 

For a more sustainable glass option, the company has been experimenting with more lightweight bottles, currently in second-round lab testing. This also isn’t the first run-through of a more sustainable bottling option for Baileys, which trialed an aluminum format for 30,000 units in March, reducing carbon by an anticipated 44%. 

These efforts are part of Diageo’s larger ESG strategy, “Society 2030: Spirit of Progress.”