Danish brewer Carlsberg Group has commenced the trial of its new Fibre Bottle, making the bio-based and fully recyclable beer bottle available to consumers for the first time in what it described as its 'largest pilot to date'.
In line with the group's focus on sustainable practices, the bottle offers beer brewed with organic and regenerative barley.
Pilot Testing
The pilot, which is vital to accelerating Carlsberg’s ambition of making the beer bottle a commercial reality, will see 8,000 fibre bottles being sampled across eight markets, including Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, United Kingdom, Poland, Germany, and France.
The bottles will be available at select festivals and flagship events, as well as targeted product samplings, Carlsberg noted.
Testing at this scale will allow the beer producer to gather feedback on people’s experiences of the product, which will aid the next generation of design.
Stephane Munch, VP group development at Carlsberg, said, "We are delighted to bring our new Fibre Bottle into the hands of consumers, allowing them to experience it for themselves. This pilot will serve a greater purpose in testing the production, performance, and recycling of this product at scale."
Carlsberg Fibre Bottle
A significant milestone for the bottle is its plant-based PEF polymer lining, which has been developed by Carlsberg’s partner Avantium, a leading expert in renewable chemistry.
PEF is made entirely from natural raw materials, is compatible with plastic recycling systems, and can degrade into nature should it end up outside national recycling systems.
PEF also functions as a barrier between the beer and the fibre outer shell, protecting the taste and fizziness of the beer better than conventional fossil-fuel-based PET plastic.
The outer shell of the bottle, produced by the packaging company Paboco, consists of sustainably-sourced wood fibre and is also bio-based.
This shell also has insulative properties, which can help keep beer colder for longer, compared to cans or glass bottles.
The bottle is 100% bio-based apart from the cap, which is currently needed to ensure the quality of the product, and together the bottle and cap are fully recyclable.
Going forward, Paboco, Carlsberg, and partners in the wider Paper Bottle Community are exploring alternative fibre-based bottle caps, with a generic solution expected in 2023.
The Danish drinks maker will continue development, together with Avantium and Paboco, to arrive at a tailored 3.0 solution that is equally suitable for primary beer packaging, using this year’s consumer feedback and Paboco’s developments.
Read More: Sustainability 2022 – Simon Boas Hoffmeyer, Senior Sustainability Director, Carlsberg Group
Sustainable Practices In Brewing Process
Changes have not been limited to the bottle itself, as Carlsberg has also bottled a more sustainable brew for its 2022 consumer trials.
In collaboration with barley malt supplier Soufflet, Carlsberg has brewed a beer with barley that has been cultivated using fully organic and regenerative agricultural practices.
More specifically, cover crops have been grown in the organic barley fields to contribute some additional benefits of regenerative farming.
While consumers can still expect the same Carlsberg taste, the methods used to farm the barley are set to improve farmland biodiversity, enhance soil health, and increase natural carbon sequestration by the soil versus conventional farming methods, the brewer noted.
