Coca-Cola Co. said its first-ever paper bottle is transitioning from the lab to the marketplace this summer through a limited online trial in Hungary.
A run of 2,000 bottles of the plant-based beverage AdeZ will be offered in the package via e-grocery retailer Kifli.hu.
Coca-Cola is to test a paper bottle as part of a longer-term bid to eliminate plastic from its packaging entirely. The ultimate goal is a bottle that can be recycled as paper.
The Paper Bottle Co., or Paboco, is the Danish firm behind development of the paper-based container, along with Coke’s R&D team in Brussels. The beverage giant and Paboco unveiled the first-generation prototype, which consists of a paper shell with a recyclable plastic lining and cap, last fall.
See video describing the paper bottle prototype.
Coke said the technology developed by Paboco will create 100% recyclable bottles made of sustainably sourced wood with a bio-based material barrier capable of resisting liquids, CO2 and oxygen. The package is suitable for beverages and beauty products, among other liquid goods.
A challenge has been to design a container capable of withstanding the forces exerted by carbonated drinks, including soda and beer, which are bottled under pressure.
Separately, vodka-maker Absolut is planning to test 2,000 paper bottles of its own in the UK and Sweden of its premixed, carbonated raspberry drink.
