Pierre Trichet x FibreForm

FibreForm paper overcap / Source: Pierre Trichet

AluminiumCorkEuropeFibreFormFood & BeveragePackagingPaper

4 MINUTE READ

Kaltrina Bylykbashi

WHAT WE SAY:

Small changes can make a big difference, even in the world of wine. While many consumers will not even give the metal/plastic foil wrapping on a champagne bottle a second thought, they are a cornerstone of the industry’s aesthetic and contribute to swathes of composite material waste every year.

Champagne house Pierre Trichet is changing this design feature, using FibreForm from Billerud to create a paper-based wrapping that can be easily recycled in kerbside waste streams. While a step in the right direction, we have two questions. Firstly – do we even need an overcap to enjoy champagne? Secondly, is this just a tokenistic nod towards more sustainable practices or will the brand roll the cap out on all its bottles? We will wait and see.

KEY FACTS:

French champagne house Pierre Trichet has partnered with innovative Paper manufacturing company Billerud to create a 'world-first' paper-based overcap for champagne bottles.
Used on the brand’s Rosé de Saignée, the cap is made from FibreForm, a strong and durable paper made from 100% wood fibres sourced from FSC and PEFC-certified forests in Scandinavia. The material is a like-for-like swap for thermoformed plastic and can be both cold and heat formed into various packaging shapes.
Due to the thickness and flexibility of the FibreForm material, it can be folded into shape and keep its form for extended periods of time, much like the Aluminium composite commonly used for champagne overcaps that this design is replacing. The paper-based overcap is free from both glue and plastic, and is 100% recyclable in the paper waste stream.
The champagne packaging was designed in-house by Emeline Cordy, and the 100% paper cap is paired with an ink-free bottle label and a secondary, laser-engraved coffret made from Ceplin – an emerging material composed of 30% compressed Champagne vine stock and 70% flax shives.

The Rosé de Saignée Ceplin box and label / Source: Pierre Trichet

A Pierre Trichet bottle in a cork box / Source: Pierre Trichet

DIVE DEEPER:

Traditionally, champagne overcaps are made from an aluminium composite that is mixed with plastic, which is heat shrunk onto the bottle top. Pierre Trichet’s use of FibreForm negates the need for this plastic-based overcap. Considering that the global production rate of sparkling wines has increased by 57% since 2002, with the world now producing 2.5 billion bottles a year, this material swap has the potential to reduce plastic use substantially.
Pierre Trichet’s use of paper has another purpose too – to break down the perceived perception that champagne has to 'look' perfect. As CEO Pierre Trichet told Luxe Packaging Insight, “consumer perceptions around how Champagne bottles are dressed need to change, with less of a focus on perfection. Today, this 'perfection' comes from the malleability of plastic. While our capsule's paper pleats may not be aesthetically perfect like those of aluminium composites, it’s a responsible and eco-friendly option.”
Other packaging choices, such as the bottle’s metal wirehood, are unique to the design as well. According to the brand, it is the first time a muselet (the wireframe twisted around the Cork of a champagne bottle) has been made with a punch tool. Furthermore, the use of ink on the muselet has been reduced by 99% compared to Pierre Trichet’s other iterations.
Finally, the bottle’s label is ink-free, with the design simply embossed into the white material and the logo pre-cut, before being applied by hand.
Billerud serves more than 100 clients worldwide, including Oatly, HP and M&S. FibreForm is available for mass-market application.

"While our capsule's paper pleats may not be aesthetically perfect like those of aluminium composites, it’s a responsible and eco-friendly option."

Pierre Trichet – CEO, Pierre Trichet – as quoted in Luxe Packaging Insight

Key Design Considerations:

The likelihood of recycling could be low

While the overcap is fully recyclable, the possibility of it actually being recycled is low. This is due to its size – pieces of material that are smaller than a yoghurt pot tend to drop through the average recycling machinery and end up as waste, headed for landfill or incineration. While paper is technically biodegradable in nature, it is unlikely to end up in the right environment to break back down into harmless nutrients. Could you do away with an overcap altogether to minimise this waste? Laithwaites has done so with its w/o Frappato 2020 wine, which uses no plastic or foil and leaves the cork exposed instead.

Imperfection is the new luxury

While perfection has been the order of the day for some time when it comes to luxury brands and price points, that is changing. Embracing the inconsistencies and imperfections of natural fibres is emerging as the new form of luxury – one that is unique, untainted by human processes and able to connect us back to the earth from where we came. High-end brands should be aware of this changing consumer sentiment – people are growing tired of cookie cutter products.