Paboco makes the paper bottle interactive to encourage recycling

Packaging has more to offer than protecting and branding products. It can help reduce a product's climate impact by providing low carbon packaging with waste management instructions.

As a relevant, sustainable packaging supplier, Paboco explores how to take the responsibility to ensure that the material put on the market is recycled and be transparent about the product's life cycle.

They see an opportunity to add additional value for their clients and brand owners by offering an end-to-end solution of a paper bottle with digital direct printing of labels, including unit-level traceability already applied at the Paboco production facility.

Paboco has, in partnership with recycl3R and Kezzler, developed a recycling application concept. The three companies know each other by all being partly owned by the paper packaging material expert BillerudKorsnäs.

"It is great that we found a way to make use of our different expertise and collaborate to create value for the market towards circularity. Since Paboco wants to establish a new packaging type from scratch, we explore the opportunity to already now implement a digital solution to target increased recycling and collect data to support decisions that can improve ours and our customers' footprint on the environment," says Gittan Schiöld, interim chief executive officer and chief compliance officer at Paboco.

The concept

Consumers can scan the QR-code on the bottle to receive practical and local recycling information for this new packaging type. The application will guide how and where to sort and recycle depending on the consumer's location. It will also provide additional information about the packaging itself, its sustainability footprint, and insights into the product journey. In the future, the consumer will be able to collect rewards for their recycling actions.

"When you have a Paboco bottle in your hand, you realize the great power behind this new sustainable packaging. You experience being part of History, being part of these pioneers and frontrunner companies that looked at the future and presented something that will move us forward towards a more sustainable future."

"But as with every new packaging, we will face doubts as consumers on how to sort and recycle it properly. It has been a genuine honor and pleasure working with all the partners to present a powerful tool to help consumers understand the power of these bottles, their benefits to the environment, and how can we all be part of this sustainable future as consumers and recyclers," says Iván Gonzalez, chief executive officer at recycl3R.

Brands can track and trace products from creation to consumption, garnering deeper insights into the product journey and the entire product life cycle. Unit-level traceability presents many opportunities to enhance significantly supply chain visibility. In this case, the focus is on collecting the recycling data to improve recycling levels, reduce the CO2 footprint and change consumer behaviors in a positive direction. This solution also enables consumer engagement directly through the product, acting as a brand-owned digital marketing channel. Reinforcing transparency with consumers through connected products helps brands to build trust, increase loyalty, and instantly reward consumers for their actions.

"We are proud to be part of the solution to a sustainable future. Working together with two innovative partners, we can create a brand-new augmented product experience for a pioneering packaging solution. Brands have the chance to offer socially conscious consumers an alternative to plastic, glass, and metal bottles while being at the forefront of the transformation towards sustainable bottle packaging."

"The recycling application allows brands to use every paper bottle as a direct channel to interact and communicate with end consumers. Providing easy, instant access to relevant information related to the sustainability footprint for the bottle in hand. Through a simple scan, consumers can experience the product journey of each product and find the closest recycling point to their location." says Christine C Akselsen, chief executive officer, Kezzler.

The next step is to evaluate the potential and market interest even further and build up commitments to support investments in both hardware and software to make the recycling concept come true.