Danish multinational brewer Carlsberg is to conduct a trial of recyclable fibre beer bottles across Europe, including the UK. The new bottle design is claimed to protect both the taste and fizz of the beer without using glass. The pilot is to be sampled to 8,000 consumers across eight markets in Western Europe - Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Poland, Germany, France and the UK.
The new containers are part of a project that the company has been working on since 2015 as part of a drive to both improve their environmental footprint and product performance. Each bottle is partially made up of a plant-based PEF polymer lining, made entirely from natural raw materials, developed in partnership with Avantium.
"Identifying and producing PEF, as a competent functional barrier for beer, has been one of our greatest challenges – so getting good test results, collaborating with suppliers and seeing the bottles being filled on the line is a great achievement," explained Stephane Munch, VP group development at Carlsberg in a recent press release.
"This pilot will serve a greater purpose in testing the production, performance and recycling of this product at scale."