Drinks company Diageo has announced it is trialling paper-based packaging for Baileys, as part of PA Consulting and PulPac’s Bottle Collective. This marks the first consumer-facing trial of paper-based packaging by the company. 

 

Diageo will release a dry moulded fibre bottle made from 90 per cent paper. The packaging also includes a plastic liner and foil seal. Diageo says the bottle is designed to be recycled in standard paper streams.

 

The trial will focus on Time Out Festival in Barcelona from 25–26 May. 2000 80ml miniature bottles of Baileys Original will be available to consumers attending the festival. 

 

Under the trial, Diageo will look to identify how consumers interact with the new packaging, how they see the sustainability of the bottle, and how the bottles perform in transit from Ireland to Barcelona. 

 

Jamie Stone, Design and Innovation Expert at PA Consulting, said: “We are delighted that the Diageo Baileys Minis are now hitting the consumer market. Dry moulded fibre bottles are a huge step forward, setting new standards in the world of more sustainable packaging. 

 

“But this is only the beginning. PulPac’s dry moulded fibre technology has immense potential: not only is it water-saving, energy-efficient and recyclable, but it is also viable at commercial manufacturing speeds and scale. Working with Diageo and other organisations through our Bottle and Blister Pack Collectives has enabled us to pool resources and dramatically accelerate the time to market for this important innovation.”

 

Baileys has been the focus of sustainable bottle trials for Diageo before: in March, the company announced it would trial aluminium bottles for Baileys in select European airports. 

 

Diageo is continuing to test the viability of paper-based packaging for its portfolio of brands, including a paper-based bottle for Johnnie Walker which is currently in development. 

 

The news follows plans released by Diageo which would see it invest €100 million toward decarbonising St James’s Gate, the brewery where Guinness is made.