Pernod Ricard has completed the trial of a paper-based bottle-and-closure pairing for its Absolut vodka brand.
The closure, developed in partnership with Swedish fibre packaging start-up Blue Ocean Closures (BOC), was tested by bartenders at the ‘Absolut The Map’ event last month. The pilot assessed the cap’s functionality, handling and overall performance in a live service environment.
The design features a closure made from “more than” 95% FSC-certified fibre and a thin plastic top-seal barrier, with plans to replace the plastic element with a bio-based material “over time”. The closure is recyclable as paper in markets equipped to separate mixed materials, and offers a reduced carbon footprint compared to traditional closures made from aluminium.
Further quality testing of the closure will follow the initial bartender trial, with Absolut planning a limited in-market rollout as the next step in its innovation roadmap.
The brand’s director of future packaging, Louise Werner, described the cap as the “final piece of the puzzle” in creating a fully renewable packaging solution.
The latest development follows Absolut’s 2023 launch of its paper-based bottle in collaboration with Paboco that was trialled in UK Tesco stores.
Last week, Pernod Ricard confirmed the commencement of an “internal project” that Global Drinks Intel understands centres around bringing back-office operations together into two silos.
