Within a year, Carlsberg Beer and Coca-Cola will transition to plant-based bottles that break down. This is a big win for the environment if other businesses follow their example.
Eco-friendly businesses are a big theme this year as brands become more aware of the environment and aim to shift customer perspectives. Ocean trash is one of the biggest environmental risks of modern times, and eight million metric tonnes of plastic are poured into our oceans every year, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The Paper Bottle Company is one of the leaders in transforming businesses and customer perceptions towards goods for mass consumption and is looking for ways to help producers minimize plastic waste.
The Netherlands-based renewable chemical company Avantium, packaging developer BillerudKorsnäs and bottle manufacturer Alpla are collaborating on the Paper Bottle Project, which aims to produce a plastic bottle of plant sugar instead of fossil fuels.
The bottles will have an outer-cardboard coating, which will be reinforced with an inner layer of plant-based plastic. This plastic will be sturdy enough to carry drinks and make sure the contents remain cool.
Estimated to be in our oceans are 5.25 trillion bits of plastic waste. 269,000 tonnes float and 4 billion microfibers per square kilometre live below the surface. 70% of our debris sinks into the ecosystem of the ocean, 15% floats and 15% falls on our beaches. As far as plastic is concerned, 8.3 million tonnes are dumped at sea annually.
This is a really important step in the beginning of cleaning up our oceans.