Mission-driven brands and consumers alike are spearheading the movement towards more sustainable products — and packaging! But what does this mean for your beverage brand?
Image credit: Frugalpac
Disrupting the Industry With Paper Bottles
It may be time to move away from more traditional ways and focus your attention on what matters most: the eco-friendly packaging revolution. For some brands, this means adopting recyclable containers — like paper bottles. But are paper bottles really worth it? Do consumers prefer paper over the traditional glass bottle? Will the flavor of your wine be affected by a paper bottle? It’s time to debunk the myths, disrupt the industry, and move toward a more sustainable future.
The Science Behind Paper Bottles
On a mission to decarbonize the food and beverage industry, Frugalpac created paper wine and spirits bottles. Made from die-cut paperboard and flexible film substrates, their bottle is five times lighter than a glass bottle and uses up to 77% less plastic than a plastic bottle. Frugalpac’s paper bottle is composed of a screw-top cap, liner pouch, and design-friendly paper sleeve that consumers can easily recycle right at home. Plus, it holds the same amount of liquid as a glass bottle and has a shelf life of over 12 months, depending on the wine.
Why Paper Over Glass?
Glass can be recycled, so why should we opt for paper bottles? An imported glass bottle from Italy is six times the carbon footprint of Frugalpac’s paper bottles. Compared to the massive amount of energy it takes to melt down glass and repurpose it into a brand new bottle, Frugalpac’s low-carbon manufacturing methods consist only of folding and gluing paperboard together. Additionally, the lighter weight of a paper bottle lowers shipping and fuel costs, providing a comprehensive sustainable alternative to glass bottles.
“[The paper bottle] allows for different usage. You can take it on an airplane, it’s super lightweight, you can potentially take it to festivals. And you know what, it looks cool — it can sit on the dining table, whereas perhaps a bag-in-box is not something you really want to have on your dinner table in quite the same way.”
Going Local
Not only is Frugalpac working to lower their carbon footprint, but they’re also supporting local wineries and distilleries. Frugalpac is on the way to launch high-speed production machines and distribute them locally. As Frugalpac’s John-Paul Grogan says, “The whole idea of getting it local is that you can supply your own materials, [because] the last thing you want to be doing is buying paperboard from Europe if you’ve got the same equipment products in the US. Likewise, you don’t want to be buying all these components.”
As their production machines reach local brands, consortium groups, and packaging suppliers, it will be much easier to uplift a number of small wineries and producers — all while lowering your carbon footprint.
Image credit: Frugalpac
How You Can Attract Consumers
Just because you’re utilizing paper bottles doesn’t mean you need to sacrifice design. Frugalpac offers 360-degree branding capabilities, allowing you to beautifully share your story on the paper sleeve. Brands from all around the world are adopting Frugalpac’s paper bottle, including Signal 7 Wines, Cantina Goccia, and When in Rome Wine. Since launching in June 2020, Cantina Goccia’s first wine in a Frugal Bottle was so popular that it sold out twice, with one wine chain selling its whole stock in just one day. On a shelf full of glass bottles, your paper bottle design is sure to stand out and get in the hands of consumers.
Editor’s Note: This article is not sponsored.
Check out the full episode with John-Paul Grogan here.
Scout Driscoll
Founder and CEO
Celebrating her 20th year at the helm, our fearless leader Scout believes in bringing her studio’s pan-industry acumen to an industry seeking to connect with broader audiences. She was honored to judge BTI’s International Packaging Design Awards as well as the 2020 and 2021 Restaurant Development + Design Magazine Awards. Get to know Scout on our Podcast, VINTed or on her feature on Wine Women Radio.
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