Pernod Ricard Piloting Paper Absolut Vodka Bottles In U.K. Retail Stores
Pernod Ricard's Absolut Vodka is embarking on a three-month test offering single-mold paper-based bottles commercially within the U.K.
Furthering their goal of creating a 100% bio-based bottle while reducing their CO2 emissions, the 500ml-sized bottles will be sold exclusively in 22 stores of the supermarket chain Tesco across the Greater Manchester area this summer.
The initiative is a partnership with Paboco (the Paper Bottle Company) and their portfolio of global brands, including The Coca-Cola Company, Carlsberg, P&G, and L’Oréal, to innovate and lead change in sustainable packaging within the industry.
The bottles, made from 57% paper with an integrated barrier of recyclable plastic, capitalize on Manchester's high recycling rates, allowing consumers to efficiently recycle the product just as they would paper.
Reducing the carbon footprint of its packaging builds on Absolut's goal of becoming a carbon-neutral product by 2030, which they are currently on track for, with its distillery emitting 98% fewer emissions than the average distillery. Last year, the company announced a partnership with Ardagh Glass Packaging to use a partly hydrogen energy-fired glass furnace for their large-scale bottle production.
During the three-month trial, Absolut will gather feedback from consumers, supply chain partners, and retailers on the product's ability to be transported and how consumers react to it.
With a design that complements Absolut’s classic apothecary-inspired design, the paper bottles will be eight times lighter than the standard glass bottles, making them easier to carry and transport and more likely to be used for outside occasions like festivals.
“We are exploring packaging that has a completely different value proposition,” said Elin Furelid, director of future packaging with Absolut. “Paper is tactile; it’s beautiful; it’s authentic; it’s light. That was our starting point. But this is not just an idea on paper.”
Absolut previously piloted these bottles with their ready-to-drink mix, which has low ABVs (5%), but this new pilot will test using the higher 40% ABV of Absolut Vodka.
The potential of paper-based bottles have been in the works for some time. Jonnie Walker previously announced it was working on a paper-based bottle, while Kraft-Heinz is piloting a paper bottle made from sustainably sourced wood pulp with hopes to have it on the market sometime in 2023.
