Techno Focus

Frugalpac Announces Collaboration with ITC to Bring Paper Bottles to India and South Asia 

paperasia

British sustainable packaging company Frugalpac has signed a letter of intent with one of the largest value-added converter of packaging in South Asia, ITC Limited-Packaging and Printing Business, to bring paper Frugal Bottles to India in a ground-breaking collaboration to decarbonise the drinks industry.

Frugalpac’s new collaboration with ITC’s Packaging & Printing Business will see them promote and grow the demand for paper bottles in India with a view to eventually produce these low-carbon bottles in India.

The Frugal Bottle is made from 94% recycled paperboard with a food grade pouch to hold the liquid,is five times lighter than a glass bottle and crucially has a carbon footprint 84% lower than bottles made from glass with a water footprint four times lower too.

The collaboration was announced just days before ProWine Mumbai, where Frugalpac will be exhibiting its Frugal Bottles and promoting the machines that make them.

India’s alcohol industry size is estimated to reach USD55 billion by the end of this year. Frugalpac and ITC hope to tap into Indian consumers who are more concerned about sustainability.

The collaboration underpins ITC’s Sustainability 2.0 plan which aims to support sustainable livelihoods, pursue newer ways to fight climate change, enable the transition to a net zero economy, work towards ensuring water security for all and create an effective circular economy for post-consumer packaging waste.

Frugalpac has been invited by the UK’s Department for Business and Trade to join a British delegation of companies to display its sustainable paper bottles at Britain is GREAT stand at ProWine Mumbai on November 8-9 at the Jio World Convention Centre.

Frugalpac also exhibited at ProWine Mumbai’s sister show ProWein in Düsseldorf in March this year.

More than 45 different drinks producers from around the world have launched 128 different SKUs of wines, spirits and olive oils in the Frugal Bottle. They are available in 25 countries including Australia, Japan, North America, Canada, the UK, across Europe, Scandinavia and South Africa.

Sustainability is hugely important to ITC. As a business, we are proud to have been at the forefront of bringing sustainable packaging solutions in the Indian market. ITC’s Packaging Business has had a strong association with Alcobev industry in India through supplies of monocartons, rigid boxes and labels. Frugalpac is the perfect business partner as we take another big step to help decarbonise the packaging for this industry across India and South Asia. ITC’s Packaging & Printing Business was founded in 1925 so it’s fitting as we mark our centenary next year, that we work with Frugalpac to promote a paper bottle that not only cuts carbon footprint by 84% but also reduces the water footprint of bottles by four times too.

SN Venkataraman, CEO of ITC’s Packaging and Printing Business

Malcolm Waugh, CEO of Frugalpac added, “India’s alcoholic beverage market is ranked sixth globally in terms of revenue generation so it was vital we collaborated with a company that has the experience, reach and commitment to sustainability to bring our paper bottle revolution to South Asia.”

“ITC has a long history of packaging expertise so they were the ideal partner for our Frugal Bottle and the machines that make them. India is a huge growth market for us and we’re confident that both drinks brands and consumers are keen to make the move from glass to paper bottles.”

“We’d like to thank ITC for undertaking this venture with Frugalpac and also to the UK’s Department for Business and Trade for inviting us to ProWine Mumbai to raise awareness of the world’s first and only commercially available paper bottle for wines and spirits.”

Drinks brands and packaging firms who want to meet Frugalpac at ProWine Mumbai on 8-9 November to find out more about Frugal Bottles and the machines that make them can contact Frugalpac’s Commercial Manager for machine systems Ciaran Dickson at ciaran@frugalpac.com

Frugalpac bottles will be on display at the Britain is GREAT stand in the UK Pavilion.

For more information visit www.frugalpac.com or https://packaging.itcportal.com/

About the Frugal Bottle

  • It’s lighter. The Frugal Bottle 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 Frugal Bottle, which is made from recycled paperboard with no chemicals, has a carbon footprint up to six times (84%) lower than a glass bottle and more than a third less than a bottle made from 100% recycled plastic. The Frugal Bottle’s water footprint is also at least four times lower than glass.
  • It’s easy to recycle again. Simply separate the plastic food-grade pouch from the paper bottle and put them in your respective recycling bins. The food grade pouch is certified recyclable and is a polyethylene metallised polyester laminate, the same material used in bag in box wines.
  • It uses less plastic than a plastic bottle. The Frugal Bottle uses up to 77% less plastic. Only 15g compared to a 64g bottle made from 100% recycled plastic. The food grade pouch is a polyethylene metallised polyester laminate, the same material used in bag in box wines. It is recyclable.
  • It stands out. As the Frugal 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 Frugal Bottle can be produced in the heart of their bottling facility, offers complete freedom on design and print, is more cost effective to transport than glass bottles while reducing their carbon footprint further.