The Paper Bottle for The Absolut Company

The Paper Bottle project began in earnest in 2015, with the ambitious idea of bringing a renewable, recyclable and biodegradable bottle to market that would be made from 100% sustainably sourced wood fibres. The result was Paboco, an abbreviation for The Paper Bottle Company, a joint venture between paper packaging material developer BillerudKorsnäs and bottle manufacturing specialist Alpla.

Challenge

Realising this vision was perfectly synchronised with their own, The Absolut Company joined the collaboration along with three other pioneer brands to help create a more sustainable future.

Absolut Vodka is arguably one of the most iconic brands in the world, with a packaging silhouette that rivals few others in terms of recognisability. Retaining that immeasurable equity whilst creating the 1st generation paper bottle prototype was the main design challenge. And in keeping with the long-standing tradition of Absolut, the packaging needed to reflect the properties and creative concept of the product.

Solution

The Absolut Paper bottle is nature, re-engineered for a sustainable tomorrow. It challenges what wood fibres can be, and heralds the reinvention of cellulose as one of our most circular materials. Brand developers wanted to make the bottle look and feel like paper, folded in layers to hold the drink and hug the contrasting labels, yet still be connected to the world famous silhouette and inviting the consumer to instantly connect with the organic nature of the material.

The 1st generation prototype is but a snapshot of the journey, albeit one that opens a window to an optimistic and hopeful future. The dream within reach now is to significantly redefine how we consume and connect with our beverages in the years to come – leaving no trace behind.

In September of 2020, the first limited run of prototypes were produced for testing, with another batch produced in spring of 2021 to allow for continued innovation. But the overarching project is a long term vision and commitment, and already the next phase is being mapped out, with a 2nd generation down the line that will be able to truly challenge the status quo of the beverage industry and move us one step closer to a zero-waste future.