Frugalpac's Frugal Bottle: The World's First Commercially Available Paper Bottle for Wine and Spirits
Launched in 2020 and achieving notable success, Frugalpac’s bottles feature a 94% recycled paperboard exterior and a food-grade plastic inner pouch.
16 October 2024
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Avallen’s award-winning Calvados are adopters of the Frugal bottles | Photo Credit: Frugalpac
Crafted from 94% recycled paperboard with an easily separable, food-safe pouch for the liquid, the Frugal Bottle requires six times less carbon and energy to produce and dispose of compared to traditional bottles. This results in a carbon footprint that is 84% lower than that of glass bottles. Weighing only 83 grams before being filled, the Frugal Bottle is also five times lighter than a standard wine bottle and is fully recyclable.
But wine in a cardboard bottle—will consumers embrace it?
Photo Credit: Frugalpac
Picture this: you’re on a special dinner date. After a thoughtful discussion with the sommelier, you select a dry red private reserve cabernet—something impressive, not cheap. You’re certainly not being frugal. As you savour artisanal baguette with Brittany butter, your wine arrives… in a cardboard bottle.
The sommelier explains that you’ve chosen a planet-positive wine, served in a sustainable bottle. Your date beams: “I love that you care about your carbon footprint!”
Welcome to the new era of sophistication in the beverage world—drinking sustainably. It’s no longer enough to drink responsibly; the time has come to make greener choices too.
Founder of Frugalpac, Malcolm Waugh. Photo credit: Frugalpac
How to recycle a Frugal Bottle?
Photo credit: Frugalpac
Does the Frugal Bottle feel frugal?
Paper bottles tend to conjure up a rather non-sophisticated, cheap and cheerful brand image, but Frugal Bottles allow for vibrant, sophisticated and impactful 360-degree branding. Starting as a flat paperboard, the Frugal Bottle is printed and die cut, and brands are extremely creative with design. Since launching in June 2020, Frugal Bottles has been used by more than 45 beverage brands across over 100+ SKUS. Frugal bottles are available in 25 countries, including Australia, Japan, North America, Canada, the UK, Europe, Scandinavia, and South Africa.
Photo credit: Frugalpac
South African wineries were early adopters of Frugal bottles. Journey’s End Vineyards, with Interpunkt wines near Cape Town, and Stellenbosch Vineyards’ Arniston Bay wines were some of the earliest companies to use the Frugal Bottle. Interpunkt retails at the UK grocery chain Morrison’s, and its paper bottles can also be found in UK pubs.
Food Shoppers Ready For Forward-Thinking Packaging?
Inspired by Sainsbury’s successful gin brand Greenall’s gin packaged in Frugal bottles, UK supermarket chain Aldi partnered with Frugalpac to package several of its own label gin and wine brands in Frugal bottles. While these supermarket brands reduce their carbon footprint, eco-conscious shoppers have responded well to paper bottles that are lighter, non-breakable, and easier to carry, take to picnics and dispose of. In May this year, Aldi re-launched their well-loved store-brand gin, Greyson’s London Dry Gin, in paper bottle format as well.
Photo credit: Frugalpac
Frugalpac has even made custom commemorative Frugal bottles for special occasions and collabs, like the ones commissioned to mark the 30th anniversary of democratic elections in South Africa and the commemorative Cardbordeaux bottle made for His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen during their state visit to France.
Photo credit: Frugalpac
Frugalpac’s growth strategy involves selling Frugal Bottle Assembly Machines to key wine and spirits-producing regions, to establish Frugal Bottle manufacturing hubs across the globe. Each machine can produce 500 bottles per hour, equating to approximately 2.5 million Frugal Bottles annually. California’s Monterey Wine Company is the first American business to acquire the machine, following in the footsteps of Canada’s KinsBrae Packaging.
California’s Wine Region Embraces Frugal Bottles
California produces more than 80% of US wine, and the hope is that more producers will opt for Frugal Bottles as a greener and more cost-effective choice. Glass accounts for about 50% of a wine’s carbon footprint. Bringing the machine right to where the wine is produced reduces shipping costs dramatically and creates a bottle that’s ‘made in America.’ Things look promising in the US market as Whole Foods recently introduced Bonny Doon Vineyard’s wine ‘Carbon…Nay’ in Frugal Bottles.
No doubt more Californian wine brands will follow suit.
Will The Luxury Market Embrace Paper Bottles?
Photo credit: Mother of Pearl Vodka
Premium Vodka Mother of Pearl Vodka is the first Australian brand to adopt a Frugal Bottle, perfectly integrating sustainability and choosing paper over glass by simply stating, ‘No glass by the pool’. The impactful branding and design of Mother of Pearl’s paper bottle are consistent with their distinct glass bottle design. The paper bottle was launched late last year at a trade show in Singapore. Founder Nic Hancock believes the paper bottle reflects the respect for the pristine Australian outdoors and Antipodean lifestyle. Increasingly, being sustainable is an important part of the new luxury story.
Mother of Pearl Vodka has also agreed to buy Australia’s first Frugal Bottle-making machine so it can produce the bottles locally and then fill them for the Australasian market.
Industry Disruptors
Planet-positive Avallen—makers of French Calvados apple brandy, whose brand ethos and core DNA is sustainability recently introduced their product in the Frugal Bottle and are pleased with its lighter weight yet robustness for online retail and deliveries. The beverage industry has a long way to go in its eco journey. While facing global pressure to reduce carbon emissions, particularly in markets like the EU, drinks brands must strike the right balance between what consumers want and brand values. No one wants to be accused of corporate greenwashing, and the days of incentivising consumers to ‘go green’ are over.
Photo Credit: Frugalpac
The cost incentive for brands to switch to paper bottles is currently low, as a Frugal Bottle still costs roughly the same as a glass bottle. However, as more Frugal Bottle machines are purchased around the world and production increases, costs are likely to decrease. Frugalpac has said its bottles could match the glass cost in three years.
Since the Frugal Bottle can be produced right in the heart of the bottling facility, there are significant savings on transportation and shipping. But it’s ultimately not about cost, it’s about sustainability and saving the planet one bottle at a time.
Author: Namita Moolani Mehra
Namita is a freelance food and parenting writer, and a published cookbook and children’s book author. Namita is the founder of social-impact business, Indian Spicebox, a company that has helped fund over half a million hot meals for underprivileged children in India. Namita crafts delightful culinary experiences like street food pop-ups and spice workshops. She currently lives in Singapore with her husband and two young children. Visit her online at namitamehra.com
