Meet the Frugal Bottle– the biggest innovation for wine and spirits since the launch of the glass bottle. The 75cl (centilitre) bottle is made from 94 per cent recycled paperboard with a food-grade liner to hold the wine or spirit. It can be refrigerated and keeps the liquid cooler for longer.

The bottle, which is comparable in cost to a labelled glass bottle, is the brainchild of British sustainable packaging firm Frugalpac, which creates and supplies recycled paper-based products with the lowest carbon footprint that are easily recycled again so they do not need to go to landfill. The bottles are made at the company’s facility in Ipswich.

The first wine to go on sale in the Frugal Bottle is from the award-winning Italian vineyard Cantina Goccia. 3Q is an unwooded Sangiovese red with a hint of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

There are six reasons why the bottle is unique.

It’s lighter. 

It weighs just 83g so it is up to five times lighter than a normal glass bottle, making it easier to carry and lighter to transport.

It’s better for the environment. 

An independent Life Cycle Analysis by Intertek found the bottle, which is made from recycled paperboard with no chemicals, has a carbon footprint up to six times (84 per cent) lower than a glass bottle and more than a third less than a bottle made from 100 per cent recycled plastic.It’s water footprint is also at least four times lower than glass.

It’s easy to recycle again.

Simply separate the plastic food-grade liner from the paper bottle and put them in your respective recycling bins.Or you can put the whole bottle in your paper recycling bin and the liner will be easily separated in the paper re-pulping process.

It uses less plastic than a plastic bottle.

The Frugal Bottle uses up to 77 per cent less plastic. Only 15 g compared to a 64g bottle made from 100 per cent recycled plastic.

It stands out.

 As the bottle is made from recycled paperboard, it allows for 360-degree branding across the bottle. No other wine or spirits bottle looks or feels like it, so it stands out on shelf and table.

It’s better for wine producers. 

The bottle can be produced in the heart of their bottling facility, offers complete freedom on design and print, is more cost-effective to transport while reducing their carbon footprint.

It will initially be available to buy online from www.cantinagoccia.com and in Scotland from Woodwinters Wines and Whiskies retail stores and online.

It is also under active consideration by a number of leading UK supermarket chains and hospitality groups keen to promote sustainable packaging and will be available from other retail outlets across the UK, in Denmark, and Holland over the next few weeks.

The bottle,which can also be used for sprits such as gin, vodka and rum, has already sparked a huge amount of interest in a drinks industry keen to cut their emissions and appeal to a new audience of consumers interested in sustainability.

For example, Spanish wine producer Torres has launched the International Wineries for Climate Action (IWCA) with members targeting an overall reduction of greenhouse gas emissions of 80 per cent by 2045, with a shorter-term target of 50 per cent by 2030. 

Moving to the bottle will allow wine producers to cut the carbon footprint of each bottle by up to 84 per cent and reduce emissions from transporting bottles as it can be made and filled on site. According to WRAP, the Waste and Resources Action Programme, the UK imports more than 1.6 billion bottles of wine a year.

The company also developed the Frugal Cup, the world’s first take-away coffee cup made from 96 per cent recycled paper that has a carbon footprint up to 60 per cent lower than conventional cups when sent to landfill and is easier to recycle again. 

Frugalpac chief executive, Malcolm Waugh, said, “Our mission is to design, develop and supply sustainable packaging. The Frugal Bottle is up to five times lighter than a glass bottle, has a carbon footprint up to six times lower and is easy to recycle again.We’ve had fantastic feedback from people who’ve trialled the Frugal Bottle. As well as the superior environmental benefits, it looks and feels like no other bottle you have ever seen.”

“We want to deliver great wine and spirits in innovative packaging whilst helping our customers and consumers reduce their impact on the environment. The Frugal Bottle offers a major point of difference for the global wine and spirits sector through stand out design and positive sustainable benefits,” he added.

“Frugalpac’s business model is to supply Frugal Bottle machines for wine producers or packaging companies to manufacture the bottles on their site, cutting carbon emissions even further. Materials can be purchased locally through existing paperboard printers to give maximum freedom of design and the best commercial offering,” concluded Waugh.

Cantina Goccia, owner Ceri Parke, the Frugal Bottle’s launch customer, said, “We’re delighted to be making history with the most sustainable wine bottle in the world. For us, the Frugal Bottle is about achieving a considerably more sustainable form of packaging for an industry crying out for innovation. It will help us decarbonise the drinks industry.”

“When some of our top hotel customers saw samples of our paper wine bottle, there was no hesitation in their minds that this type of bottle would be well received in their dining rooms. The launch of the Frugal Bottle is a big leap in sustainability without compromising wine quality.It’s much lighter than glass, easier to transport and friendlier to the planet. Just as important, our wine still tastes as wonderful in a paper bottle as it does in glass,” she added.

“We passionately believe this is a real game changer for the wine industry, allowing us to sell and transport our award-winning wines in a much more sustainable way whilst still providing a beautiful bottle,” concluded Parke.

Douglas Wood, founder, Woodwinters Wines and Whiskies, the Cantina Goccia Frugal Bottle launch supplier, said, “Woodwinters’ team and customers are huge fans of the delicious wines of Cantina Goccia. Innovation in sustainability at all stages of wine’s journey from vineyard to glass is something that we believe is hugely important.”

“We are, therefore, obviously very excited to support the availability of one of our favourite wines in this new format with all its potentially great positive environmental impact,” he added.