Diageo to launch plastic-free Johnnie Walker bottles in 2021
Drinks giant Diageo will sell Johnnie Walker whisky in plastic-free bottles from next year as it seeks to reduce waste.
The company announced this morning that it had created the fully recyclable bottle wood pulp that meets food grade standards in partnership with venture management firm Pilot Lite.
The two firms launched a sustainable packaging venture called Pulpex to work on the research and development of the bottle.
Diageo, which also owns Guinness and Smirnoff vodka, said Pulpex will also provide branded paper bottles in non-competing sectors for firms including Unilever and Pepsico.
These will also be launched next year.
“We’re proud to have created this world first,” Diageo chief sustainability officer Ewan Andrew said.
“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.”
Diageo uses less than five per cent of plastic in its total packaging but, along with other consumer product firms, has set targets to reduce its use as part of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals programme.
Consumer product companies have come under increasing pressure to reduce the amount of plastic they use in packaging.
Research by ING showed that around 8.2m tonnes of plastic was used in Europe’s food and drink packaging in 2018, according to Reuters.