Consumer companies are driving their businesses to reach all customer demands, including those living sustainable lifestyles. From recycled paper, to plastic-free packaging, aluminum bottles and more, everything has found a place in the world of sustainability—that now includes liquors! With a huge shift to sustainable packaging in the consumer goods industry, Absolut has jumped on the eco-friendly train. They have now created a new paper bottle with a main focus in delivering sustainable packaging while reducing carbon impacts.
They have displayed what their upcoming product repackaging will look like to demonstrate their shift to sourcing and developing eco-friendly packaging. It will mainly consist of sustainably-sourced wood fibers, which they argue is strong, sturdy, and contains liquid without complications. This monumental shift was influenced by that of the parent company, Pernod Ricard.
“We’re allowing ourselves to truly think outside the box, both in terms of design and sustainability,” stated former Director Future of Packaging at Absolut, Niclas Appelquist.
Production began with a prototype generation made from biodegradable FSC- certified paper, barriered by recycled plastic. The components—57% paper and 43% recycled plastic—all can be recycled again after use, allowing for a circulatory lifespan. The production process of any product is a significant element to evaluating environmental impacts, so Absolut has made that a primary focus. Any distilling process consumes exponential levels of energy so the company is starting to manage their emissions more closely. So far, Absolut has become 60% more energy efficient than the average distilling company on the market. By 2030, they aim to be fully carbon neutral, and they currently have a glass bottle packaging alternative in the production process. Traveling into the fields of agriculture, Absolut also has plans to cut wheat production emissions by 10% by incorporating sustainability certified wheat into the distilling process.
