LONDON, July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Diageo, makers of
Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff and
Guinness, has today announced that it has created the world's first
ever 100% plastic free paper-based spirits bottle, made entirely
from sustainably sourced wood. The bottle will debut with
Johnnie Walker, the world's number
one Scotch Whisky, in early 2021.
It comes as Diageo announces that it has launched a new
partnership with Pilot Lite, a venture management company, to
launch Pulpex Limited, a new world-leading sustainable packaging
technology company. To ensure that the technology can be used in
every area of life, Pulpex Limited has established a partner
consortium of world leading FMCG companies in non-competing
categories including Unilever, and PepsiCo, with further partners
expected to be announced later in the year. The consortium partners
are each expecting to launch their own branded paper bottles, based
on Pulpex Limited's design and technology, in 2021.
Pulpex Limited has developed a 'first-of-its-kind' scalable
paper-based bottle designed and developed to be 100% plastic free
and expected to be fully recyclable. The bottle is made from
sustainably sourced pulp to meet food-safe standards and will be
fully recyclable in standard waste streams. The technology
will allow brands to rethink their packaging designs, or move
existing designs into paper, whilst not compromising on the
existing quality of the product.
Ewan Andrew, Chief Sustainability
Officer, Diageo PLC, said: "We're proud to have created this
world first. We are constantly striving to push the boundaries
within sustainable packaging and this bottle has the potential to
be truly ground-breaking. It feels fitting that we should launch it
with Johnnie Walker, a brand that
has often led the way in innovation throughout its 200 years
existence."
Pulpex Limited's technology allows it to produce a variety of
plastic-free, single mould bottles that can be used across a range
of consumer goods. The packaging has been designed to contain a
variety of liquid products and will form part of Diageo's
commitment towards Goal 12 of the United Nations Sustainable
Development Goals: 'Responsible Consumption and
Production'.
Richard Slater, Chief R&D
Officer, Unilever, said: "We believe in tackling plastic
waste through innovation and collaboration. We are going to halve
our use of virgin plastic at Unilever, reducing our use of plastic
packaging by more than 100,000 tonnes in the next five years.
Joining forces to develop and test paper bottles is an incredibly
exciting step forward, and we're delighted to be working together
to tackle one of the biggest environmental challenges of our
time."
Simon Lowden, Chief
Sustainability Officer, PepsiCo, said: "Innovative solutions and
partnerships are critical to driving meaningful progress toward a
circular economy. The Pulpex consortium is well positioned to
deliver sustainable packaging at scale and across industries,
having impact beyond what any organization could achieve alone.
We're proud to be a part of it."
Sandy Westwater, Director, Pilot
Lite said, "We're thrilled to be working with global brand
leaders in this consortium. By working together, we can use the
collective power of the brands to help minimise the environmental
footprint of packaging by changing manufacturing and consumer
behaviours."
For more information, please contact the Diageo press office on
press@diageo.com or +44 (0) 7803 856 200.
For information on Pilot Lite please contact
press@pilotlitevenures.com.
Notes to Editors
- More information about Pulpex Limited can be found at
www.pulpex.com
About Diageo
Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an
outstanding collection of brands. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, J&B, Buchanan's
and Windsor whiskies, Smirnoff,
Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray and Guinness.
Diageo is a global company, and our products are sold in more
than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on
both the London Stock Exchange (DGE) and the New York Stock
Exchange (DEO). For more information about Diageo, our
people, our brands, and performance, visit us at
www.diageo.com. Visit Diageo's global responsible drinking
resource, www.DRINKiQ.com, for information, initiatives, and ways
to share best practice.
Celebrating life, every day, everywhere.
About Pilot Lite
Pilot Lite Group, parent company of Pilot Lite Ventures and
Pilot Lite Capital, is a pioneer and international leader in
venture management, with a successful track record helping Fortune
500/FTSE 100 corporates accelerate the commercialization of
innovation. Pilot Lite Ventures helps corporate clients identify,
de-risk, validate and launch early-stage technology, new ventures
and stranded intellectual property across developed and emerging
channels and markets. Pilot Lite Capital directly invests in
Corporate IP, products and brands and converts the assets into
free-standing, revenue-generating businesses.
Media contacts: press@diageo.com or +44 (0)
7803-856-200
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SOURCE Diageo Plc