GSK Consumer Explores Paper Bottles for Wellness, Oral Health Brands

GSK Consumer Healthcare (GSKCH), global over-the-counter healthcare company, has joined the Pulpex Limited partner consortium to explore incorporating paper bottles into its overall packaging program.

Pulpex Limited is a new sustainable packaging technology company established by venture management firm Pilot Lite and spirits producer Diageo. The company has developed a scalable paper bottle that is 100% PET-free. Made from sustainably sourced pulp, the Pulpex bottle meets food safety standards and will be recyclable in standard paper waste streams, which have a far higher yield than plastic waste streams.

Sarah McDonald, VP of Sustainability, GSK Consumer Healthcare, said, "We are determined to explore alternative packaging materials where we can, while ensuring the quality, safety and efficacy of our products. We hope that by commercializing this technology for our industry, others will be able to follow."

Pulpex formed a partner consortium of fast-moving consumer goods companies to ensure that the packaging technology is widely adopted and used in every area of life. In addition to GSKCH, the consortium includes Diageo, Unilever and PepsiCo, with other partners expected to join later this year. The customizable Pulpex technology allows partner companies to produce different shapes and sizes of single-mold bottles to fit the needs of their brands.

GSKCH is exploring the design and pilot of Pulpex bottles for products from three brands within its portfolio: Centrum, Sensodyne and parodontax.

Last year, GSK announced ambitious new environmental sustainability goals in both climate and nature. Pulpex a part of GSKCH's commitment to ambitious targets for all consumer product packaging to be recyclable or reusable, including eliminating all problematic and unnecessary plastics, where quality and safety permits, by 2025.