Diageo Trials Paper Bottles for Baileys in Green Push

Beverage giant Diageo is testing eco-friendly paper packaging for its popular Baileys Irish Cream liqueur.

This marks a critical step towards their sustainability goals, aiming to reduce environmental impact and cater to consumer demand for greener options.

The Pilot Project

• Partnering with PA Consulting and PulPac, Diageo is trialling a 90% paper bottle with a thin plastic liner and foil seal.
• This initial consumer test involves 2,000 mini Baileys bottles at the Time Out Festival in Barcelona.
• The trial will assess consumer interaction with the material, travel durability, and understanding of the paper bottle's sustainability benefits.

Sustainability Focus

• Diageo acknowledges the gap between consumer desire for sustainable products and actual purchase behaviour due to factors like cost and confusion.
• Their strategy involves innovation, clear communication, and marketing to bridge this gap.
• Frameworks like environmental claims checklists and LCA assessments ensure accurate and transparent communication of sustainability efforts.

Beyond Paper Bottles

• Diageo remains committed to exploring paper packaging across its portfolio.
• They are developing a Johnnie Walker paper bottle concept and collaborating with Don Papa Rum on a 90% paper-based bottle that eliminates the need for a separate gift box.
• Lightweighting glass bottles using a new coating is another initiative Diageo is pursuing.
• These trials build upon their previously announced aluminium bottle test for Baileys, targeting a 44% carbon footprint reduction.

Overall Impact

These packaging innovations contribute to Diageo's "Society 2030: Spirit of Progress" action plan, a 10-year ESG (environmental, social, and governance) initiative aimed at reducing the company's environmental impact, particularly focusing on packaging, which makes up a third of their carbon footprint.

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Source: Diageo