Coca-Cola is launching its first-ever paper bottle prototype trial in Hungary.
The packaging boasts a paper shell with a recyclable plastic lining, and its cap is made from 100-percent recycled PET. Ultimately, the company’s goal is to produce a bottle that can be recycled as paper.
The bottle was developed through a partnership between scientists at the Coca-Cola R&D Laboratories in Brussels and The Paper Bottle Company (Paboco).
The technology, which was created by Paboco, is designed to create recyclable bottles that are made of sustainable-sourced wood capable of resisting liquids, CO2, and oxygen.
The bottle is also designed to be suitable for other liquid goods, such as still drinks and beauty products.
The trial is scheduled to take place in the second quarter of 2021, and will involve the company’s plant-based AdeZ drink being offered to 2,000 consumers in Hungary. The drink will be available to purchase at Hungarian online grocery retailer Kifli.hu.
“The trial we are announcing today is a milestone for us in our quest to develop a paper bottle,” Coca-Cola Europe’s director of technical supply chain and innovation Daniela Zahariea said.
“People expect Cola-Cola to develop and bring to market new, innovative and sustainable types of packaging. That’s why we are partnering with experts like Paboco, experimenting openly and conducting this first-in-market trial.”
This move marks a step further in fulfilling the company’s global vision of achieving a World Without Waste, a campaign that the company has pledged to ensure all of its packaging will be recycled or reused by 2030.