6 Sustainable Alternatives to Plastic Beverage Packaging

There isn’t a 90’s kid alive who doesn’t run to find some scissors when they see plastic rings from a 6-pack. Thanks to the multiple awareness campaigns of the day, images of sea turtles with shells deformed by the plastic rings around their middles are burned into their brains along with episodes of Boy Meets World and Pearl Jam lyrics.  

Today’s youth escaped the campaigns as recent social movements have focused on plastic packaging bans and beverage brands have made moves to end their use of plastic rings altogether. There’s no denying that single-use plastics have become a major concern for both people and brands worldwide. According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, only 14% of plastic packaging is collected for recycling, while more than 30% of it ends up polluting our oceans and environment every year. 

Consumers are calling for change, and the data backs it up. The latest McKinsey Packaging Survey shows that over half of consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable packaging options. In response, more than 90 countries have enacted bans on certain types of single-use plastics, and brands like Coors Light have announced the reduction of plastic beverage rings at a global level. 

Despite deregulation by the U.S. government, a PwC report finds that 37% of North American businesses have increased their sustainability efforts, with only 16% pulling back. So, while some have pulled back, the drive toward sustainable practices remains strong. 

If you’re considering innovative beverage packaging alternatives that benefit both your customers and the environment, this guide will walk you through some of the most promising and appealing paper-based packaging options for beverages, showing you don’t have to sacrifice style or performance for sustainability. 

Sustainable primary beverage packaging alternatives

Bag-in-Box® 

 

While this option won’t completely eliminate plastic, it can seriously reduce a supplier’s use of single-use plastic. First, a Bag-in-Box solution with a five-liter plastic pouch inside, for example, uses approximately 54% less plastic than a five-liter PET bottle, and the reduction is even greater for larger containers. 

 

Many businesses have significantly reduced single-use plastic packaging by switching to a Bag-in-Box, such as Bezoya water, which used up to 60% less plastic, and Wattwiller mineral water, which  reduced plastic by 60% and carbon emissions by 40%.  

Secondly, the ability to print high-quality graphics provides for all-over branding. Brands can choose to go basic or boldly make a statement with their Bag-in-Box prints.   

And lastly, for beverage items, the plastic pouch inside the box can be made to be recyclable in many regions. (You can work with your local representative who will know more about the recycling capabilities in your area.) In regions where they’re accepted, recyclable pouches can be put in recycling bins along with other recyclable plastics. 

Sustainable secondary beverage packaging alternatives

Can Collars 

 

Companies like Grolsch (Asahi), Grupo Modelo, and Ska Brewing have all significantly reduced their plastic use by ditching plastic beverage rings to use paper-based  CanCollar® and TopClip solutions. These collars are not only durable, but they have the added benefit of being able to be branded with full-color graphics. Compared to plastic rings, the branding adds pops of color that help cans stand out on the shelf. Additionally, CanCollar is made with CarrierKote® wet-strength board to provide extra resistance to moisture.   There is also a suite of automated packaging machinery just for CanCollar paper-based rings that allows for packaging at varying speeds, depending upon your need.    

Bottle Collars and Clips 

 

Collars aren’t only for cans. Using paper-based solutions for bottle packaging, brands are also packaging multi-packs of bottles with paper-based collars. Like CanCollar and TopClip solutions, our paper-based solutions for bottles, including PETCollar®, are recyclable where beverage cartons are accepted and can be printed in any color or branded with full-color graphics.  

They’re also made for use with automated machinery to provide quick, high-volume packaging. The PETCollar Fortuna is specifically designed to apply the PETCollar paper-based bundling solution. 

Cartons

 

Using cartons is a classic way to gain more space for branding and avoid packaging cans in plastic. Whether you’re packaging four cans or 12, there are a variety of ways to package your cans, allowing beverage brands to choose the style and level of strength and durability that suits them best. Just like the above options, cartons create additional space for grabbing consumers’ attention on the shelf. They can also be made to be curbside recyclable. 

Baskets and bottle carriers

 

Like cartons for cans, a classic way to avoid plastic when packaging glass bottles is by using paper-based baskets or carriers. All baskets can be printed with 360-degree branding, have partitions to protect bottles from breakage and have handles for carrying. They can also be made to be curbside recyclable. 

Packaging with baskets can be automated with different types of automated machinery depending on the desired speed and available floorspace.  

EnduraGrip® handles

 

You don’t need plastic handles to bundle heavy bottles. EnduraGrip paper-based handle is durable enough to carry the weight of large glass or plastic bottles, and it’s curbside recyclable depending upon its size and dimensions and whether wet-strength paperboard is used. Using paperboard instead of plastic provides more opportunity for greater branding and making your handles part of your packaging graphics. 

Major big-box retailer Costco has reduced its plastic multipack packaging by hundreds of tons thanks to the EnduraGrip solution. It’s also working with its suppliers, many of whom have chosen to do the same, making this paper-based handle a global plastic replacement solution. 

While EnduraGrip handles can easily be applied by hand, automation is available for suppliers that want to speed up their packaging lines. 

Adapt your supply chain as well as your packaging 

It’s never been easier to eliminate single-use plastics and opt for recyclable packaging that’s a part of the circular economy. In addition to helping you find the right packaging solution, our experts take a look at your whole packaging supply chain to determine where else you can increase sustainability and savings.  

Using the principles of sustainable supply chain innovation, our experts evaluate your packaging line in order to identify small packaging changes that could make a major impact to your supply chain efficiency. These changes could reduce waste, packaging costs and/or carbon emissions,  

 
To make the switch to a sustainable packaging solution, contact our packaging experts.