CONSUMERS could soon be pouring whisky out of a paper bottle, with a sustainable packaging project nearing completion at Bangor University.
Members of the university’s Biocomposites Centre have partnered with global green packaging consortium Pulpex to design a paper bottle for use by a number of global consumer packaged goods companies, including Diageo.
Made from sustainably sourced, FSC-certified wood pulp, the bottles have been designed to balance functionality and quality with recyclability, and the intention is to create a resilient container which will allow for a long-term shelf-life and simple mass production.
Bangor University has worked alongside Pulpex since 2020 on the initiative and director of Bangor University’s Biocomposites Centre Dr Rob Elias said: “Given the high carbon and energy cost which goes into making even a single glass bottle, it is critical more sustainable methods of packaging are developed to reduce costs and the global carbon footprint.
“Working with industry is vital if we are to move forward to the next stage of innovation; The knowledge and support Pulpex has provided has proven invaluable to helping us research and optimise the ideal makeup of the bottle as well as scale up testing to provide more comprehensive results.”
Pulpex is a research and development collaboration between Diageo and Pilot Lite, a venture management company.
CEO of Pulpex Scott Winston said: “It’s been an absolute pleasure and advantage working alongside the talented individuals at Bangor University’s Biocomposites Centre.
“Their knowledge and experience in the field of assessing end of life of materials has become an indispensable extension of our team here at Pulpex.”
Rob added: “This is a massive step forward and we are excited to continue working further with industry to share our expertise around biocomposites and sustainable packaging, so that industry can go on to develop suitable and sustainable solutions which reduce plastic usage globally.”
To find out more about Pulpex, visit www.pulpex.com, and for more information on Bangor University’s Biocomposites centre, visit www.biocomposites.bangor.ac.uk.
