Paboco

Paper bottle prototypes / Source: Paboco

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WHAT WE SAY:

Paboco has a lofty mission: a paper bottle in every hand.

Replacing plastic bottles, which have become part of everyday life, is a tall order but this Danish company is making significant strides in the right direction. In just two generations of its paper bottle, it has moved from a separable plastic barrier to an integrated one, which can go straight in the paper recycling. It is not quite plastic-free yet, or scalable. As we all know, being able to produce trillions of fibre bottles at speed is the only way this solution is going to help the plastic crisis. We applaud the commitment but cannot wait to see the next iteration and hope it is truly nothing but toxic-free fibre.

Pulped fibres / Source: BillerudKorsnäs

ABOUT PABOCO

Paboco, the paper bottle company, is a Danish innovation company that designs and manufactures paper bottles.
The company was founded in 2019, as a joint venture between packaging material developer BillerudKorsnäs and bottle manufacturing specialist Alpla. It grew from a 2015 collaboration between the startup EcoXpac, Carlsberg and BillerudKorsnäs, which had all been working on paper bottle prototypes independently.
Paboco has developed two generations of its paper bottle. The first, available in 500 millilitre and 330 millilitre volumes, represented a 65% reduction in plastic content compared to a regular plastic bottle.
Customers could choose between a barrier film made of recycled PET, PEF or PEN, which can be separated in the recycling stream, although it will not be recycled unless it is taken to a specialised facility.
Limitations within the first generation design meant the paper bottle was paired with plastic lids and pumps or metal crown caps.
Paboco has created prototypes for brand partners, such as Lenor, Coca-Cola, Absolut, Carlsberg and L'Oréal.
The second generation Paboco bottle, due for release in 2023, incorporates a Moulded fibre screw cap manufactured by Blue Ocean Closures.
While both components still feature a thin plastic barrier, it is integrated during manufacturing, making each piece recyclable within the paper recycling stream. The Blue Ocean Closures screw cap is also biodegradable within an ocean environment.
Decoration and finishing options for Paboco include embossing, debossing and, on the next generation bottle, digital printing with water-based inks.
Paboco bottles were trialled by Coco-Cola’s brand adez in Hungary in 2021. In 2022, Carlsberg launched an 8,000 bottle trial in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, the UK, Poland, Germany and France.
Paboco sources its paper from FSC-certified forests. It claims that for every tree harvested, two to three are planted, meaning there is no net loss of forest over time.
The company is also developing waste management systems. In partnership with recycl3r and Kessler, it developed a recycling app concept, which would allow consumers to scan a QR code to receive practical, localised recycling information.
A 100% plastic-free, bio-based barrier coating is in development for future iterations of the paper bottle.
In 2022, Paboco was a finalist in the Packaging Europe Sustainability Awards.