Absolut Vodka’s New Paper Bottle Mixes Spirits And Eco-Friendly Innovation

Absolut Vodka is renowned not only for its taste but also for its creative and innovative bottle designs. From limited-edition collaborations with renowned artists to vibrant and eye-catching patterns, each tells a unique story and showcases the brand’s commitment to artistic expression.
 
For its latest innovation, bold and artistic patterns will take a backseat to a more natural approach: the Next Gen paper bottle.

Technically, the bottle is 57% paper, and the rest is made of 43% “recyclable plastic.” Still, this might be the first time a spirit comes in packaging closer to a juice box than a sturdy glass form factor meant to protect what’s inside.
 
The bottle is just one piece of a broader collaboration with the Paper Bottle Company (Paboco), the Coca-Cola Company, Carlsberg, P&G, and L’Oréal. It first went through testing at festivals in the UK and Sweden, and it’s now ready to hit the shelves of 22 different Tesco locations across Greater Manchester this summer to see how well they fare. The company states that Manchester’s high rates of recycling and is what solidified it as the testing ground for the new offering.

Each retains the brand’s iconic apothecary-inspired design and will come in a 500ml size to be sold for RRP £16 (US$19.93). Once you’ve used it all up to make vodka sodas and Moscow mules this summer, the company says it can be recycled just as you would with paper and regular household waste.
 
The pilot will sell Absolut’s 40% ABV vodka instead of its usual 5%, like in other test schemes for the Absolut Mixt ready-to-drink. These novel paper versions are also eight times lighter than their glass counterparts, making them much easier to carry and transport.

The project is a step toward Absolut’s goal of becoming carbon-neutral by 2030. It already emits 98% fewer emissions than the average distillery, and these bottles could pick up the pace even more if all goes well.

Ultimately, Absolut’s brand identity is what sets it apart from the rest. And while this might seem like this eco-friendly route it’s heading down could mean that its artistic designs will soon be behind it, the company reassures fans that the idea for the paper bottles is not to replace glass entirely but to have them sit alongside one another on a shelf.

 
 
[via Packaging Europe and The Spirits Business, images via Absolut Vodka]