Coca-Cola’s paper bottle trial to be launched in Hungary

Coca-Cola’s paper bottle prototype, to be tested in Hungary, is a part of the company’s long-term strategy to eliminate plastic from its packaging.

Cola being poured into a glass.
Beeld: ©Ernesto Rodriguez

International news outlets report that the iconic American beverage company has been working on its novel paper-based bottle for seven years – And that the first batch, 2000 bottles, will be sold in Hungary as a part of a trial run with the company’s plant-based beverage, AdeZ. The paper-bottled sodas will be available at the online grocery retailer kifli.hu, writes the news portal Telex.

The new bottles were designed by a Danish firm. It is not easy to create containers for carbonated drinks out of paper – On the one hand, the bottles have to withstand the force of pressure from the liquid, and they have to contain the soda without leakage. On the other, they have to be able to prevent outside contaminants from getting into the drink for obvious health reasons.

The current paper bottle prototype also includes a thin plastic layer on the inside, but the long-term goal is for Coca-Cola, one of the top plastic polluters in the world, to become pollution-free by 2030.