Lenor in a Paper Bottle
Procter & Gamble (P&G) is developing a fully recyclable paper bottle in collaboration with Paboco and has unveiled a pilot project for Lenor. The trial launch in Western Europe in 2022 is intended to form the basis of a test-and-learn strategy to bring paper packaging into the P&G portfolio on a larger scale.
P&G’s Fabric Care and Home Care divisions, with brands such as Ariel, Lenor, Tide, Downy, Fairy and Cascade, aim to reduce the use of plastics in packaging. As part of its sustainability strategy, P&G aims to reduce the use of virgin plastics by 50 percent by 2030. Fabric Care Europe has also committed to reduce the use of plastics by 30 percent in absolute terms by 2025 and to design for 100 percent recyclability by 2022. The Home Care division is committed to stop using virgin plastics by 2025. Brand-led packaging alternatives and pilot projects are a critical element on the path to reducing environmental impact, the company says.
Paboco’s paper bottle technology is designed to help reduce or replace plastic content while reducing its carbon footprint compared to traditional plastic packaging. This alternative form of packaging is supported by leading consumer goods companies and industry experts such as The Coca-Cola Company, Carlsberg Group, The Absolut Company, L’Oréal, BillerudKorsnäs and Alpla. Together, they aim to produce the world’s first 100 percent bio-based and recyclable paper bottle on a large scale.
Another step along the way
“This is another milestone on our P&G Fabric & Home Care journey to innovate towards more sustainable packaging formats,” says Jerry Porter, Senior Vice President of R&D for the Global Fabric & Home Care Sector at P&G. Transparent Lenor bottles offered in the European market are already made from up to 100 percent recycled plastic. “Now we aim to go a step further with bio-based packaging, which has a very promising future.”
The bottle would be the first of its kind to be manufactured on a large scale in its design and technology, according to P&G. It would be made from sustainably sourced, FSC-certified paper and initially a thin plastic barrier made from recycled PET. “Storing liquids in paper is particularly challenging, but its successful implementation could have major benefits for the planet,” emphasizes Gittan Schiöld, interim CEO of Paboco.
