Your next bottle of Johnnie Walker whisky will soon come in an eco-friendly, paper-based form.
The entirely recyclable bottle is 100 percent plastic-free and made from sustainably-sourced wood pulp. It’s invented by Pulpex Limited, Diageo’s new green technology arm, and its first run will take place in early 2021 — starting with Johnnie Walker.
Diageo’s 200-year-old brand will see its flagship whiskies rehomed in this green fashion, and go to retail.
This development comes in the thick of an alcohol industry evolving to adopt sustainable norms. Such moves, commonly focused at the bar counter, have recently reached the manufacturing line.
Diageo’s nips at the heels of inventions like Proof & Company’s ecoSPIRITS, a new minimal waste packaging that aims to end the need for single-use glass and plastic by supplying spirits to bars in reusable metal vessels.
But Diageo’s new invention is able to change the game across the supply chain by marking a definitive shift in the possibilities of how we package spirits.
The entirely scalable bottle will enable other brands to adopt and size this novel bottle according to their needs, with potential reaching far beyond alcohol. The quality of the product will not be compromised even when housed in a different skin, as Pulpex Limited crafts its vessels to be food-safe too.
“We’re proud to have created this world first. We are constantly striving to push the boundaries within sustainable packaging and this bottle has the potential to be truly ground-breaking,” commented Ewan Andrew, Chief Sustainability Officer at Diageo.
“It feels fitting that we should launch it with Johnnie Walker, a brand that has often led the way in innovation throughout its 200 years existence.”
Innovations like this are truly a shining light in the global food and beverage scene’s push for sustainability. Outside of this sector, who knows what Pulpex Limited’s bottles can apply to? Household products, beauty goods, craft wares? Time is the limit.
This story first appeared on Lifestyle Asia Singapore
(Main and featured photos: Diageo)
