Coca-Cola Will Start Selling Drinks In Paper Bottles This Summer

Coca-Cola Company has announced that it is testing a more sustainable paper bottle in Hungary, with limited online sales of the product starting this summer. The company's Brussels-based research and development team is working with Danish startup The Paper Bottle Company on this project, with an ultimate goal for bottles that 'can be recycled as paper.'

It's no secret that the planet is filled with plastic waste, including consumer products like plastic bottles — ones quickly used, then discarded, often making their way into landfills, lakes, and the ocean. Consumers are increasingly turning to more eco-friendly products, reducing their meat consumption, and cutting down on personal waste.

It's no surprise, then, that Coca-Cola is looking into fully recyclable bottles that may one day replace ordinary plastic bottles. The company plans a run of 2,000 bottles of AdeZ, a beverage, which will be sold online through the website Kifli.hu. The Paper Bottle Company (Paboco) developed the technology to make this bottle.

The plastic alternative features a 'bio-based material' as the external carton-like barrier, one made using sustainably-sourced wood. The bottle includes a recyclable plastic lining that holds the beverage, as well as a plastic cap. According to Coca-Cola, the paper exterior is designed to resist oxygen, CO2, and liquids, meaning it could be used with other consumer products like makeup.

The pilot launch of a beverage in these bottles will give Coca-Cola a chance to see how they hold up in a real-world environment and how consumers respond to the bottle change. Coca-Cola Europe's Daniela Zahariea said:

The trial we are announcing today is a milestone for us in our quest to develop a paper bottle. People expect Coca‑Cola to develop and bring to market new, innovative and sustainable types of packaging. That's why we are partnering with experts like Paboco, experimenting openly and conducting this first in-market trial.