Procter & Gamble has unveiled its first paper bottle for Lenor in partnership with paper bottle company Paboco and announced a pilot for Western Europe in 2022.
The trial rollout will form the basis of a test and learn strategy to scale up paper packaging and incorporate it across P&G’s portfolio.
Packaging Alternatives
Procter & Gamble manages a number of brands in its fabric and home care range, including Ariel, Lenor, Tide, Downy, Fairy, and Cascade.
As part of its 2030 Ambition, the group aims to reduce its use of virgin plastics by 50% by 2030.
Its fabric care Europe branch has additionally committed to a 30% absolute plastics reduction by 2025 and to design for 100% recyclability by 2022, and is on track for both commitments.
The group's home care range is committed to eliminating virgin plastics by 2025.
The group is utilising packaging alternatives and pilot schemes as a means to lower its environmental impact.
Paboco’s paper bottle technology is advancing quickly and promises to reduce and replace plastic content while lowering carbon footprint compared to conventional plastic packaging.
This alternative form of packaging is increasingly viable and scaling at pace, backed by leading consumer goods companies and industry experts including Coca-Cola, Carlsberg Group, The Absolut Company, L’Oréal, BillerudKorsnäs, and ALPLA united by the vision to create the world's first 100% bio-based and recyclable paper bottle at scale.
Paboco Community of Pioneer Brands
Incorporating the paper bottle sees Procter & Gamble join the 'Paboco Community of Pioneer Brands'.
Senior vice-president of R&D for global fabric and home care sector, Jerry Porter, commented, "We’re very excited to join this group of packaging innovators. This is another milestone on our P&G Fabric and Home Care journey to innovate towards more sustainable packaging formats.
"Our chosen pilot brand Lenor has a great track record of incorporating recycled plastic into its packaging, already using up to 100% in its European transparent bottles. Now we aim to go a step further with bio-based packaging, which has a very promising future. We are delighted to be on this journey with our partners in the development of the next generations of paper bottles."
Lenor’s first paper bottle will significantly reduce plastic compared to its current bottle.
The bottle is a first of its kind produced at scale, in its design and technology, made from sustainably sourced FSC-certified paper and initially a thin plastic barrier made from post-consumer recycled PET.
Future versions of the bottle will integrate the barrier into the paper lining to create a seamless, 100% bio-based bottle, fully recyclable in the paper stream.
Last month, Unilever launched a prototype of a new paper-baed laundry detergent bottle, which it is set to debut in Brazil next year ahead of a rollout in other markets.
© 2021 European Supermarket Magazine. Article by Conor Farrelly. For more Packaging news, click here. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
