PepsiCo's Paper-Based Bottle Receives Patent

By Alec Italiano, contributing writer

Paper bottles offer a new sustainable solution for every beverage, from soda and milk to wine and beer

In an on-going effort that strives for sustainable packaging, PepsiCo has taken an interest in using paper fibers to make bottles for a few of its beverages. The company is still tossing around ideas about which of its products will use these bottles, but PepsiCo has taken an important first step in the process — filing for a patent that would use an internal plastic liner in the production of bottles using paper fibers.

PepsiCo applied for the patent to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in the summer of 2012, and it was published in December of last year. Traditionally, paper products on the market have been geared toward milk, juice, and some types of wine. Partially carbonated beverages, such as draft beer, could also be a product for the newly developed container.

Paper Boy Winery started using this material due to its lightweight characteristics. The material, made from the same cellulosic pulp that makes paper, is 85 percent lighter than a glass bottle and the carbon footprint is also significantly reduced as the paper produces less waste than a bottle and is recyclable and compostable. However, the wines bottled in these containers are ones that are expected to be consumed almost immediately.

The containers are formed with a wet, paper preform that shapes the structure of the bottle. Then, a pulp-fiber slurry is applied to the mold. The moisture is eliminated through drainage channels and the container is dried by pressing a thermoplastic preform against it using blow molding. Sheets of paperboard are placed at the bottom of the container to form the base.  This new method is crucial as it eliminates a shrinking issue between the plastic liner and fiber wall that is imperative to the containers structure.

Going forward, there are some barriers that will need to be overcome. Product visibility and utility finish are two of the first concerns. The paper bottles will be the direct packaging competition of traditional bottles and are something consumers are not accustomed to. Plastic bottles also provide a more attractive solution and give more product visibility on retailers’ shelves than the paper-based competition. But for PepsiCo, the added element of sustainability the new paper-based bottles brings outweighs the aesthetic factors as the company continues to move forward with development and implementation.