GSK Consumer Healthcare to incorporate paper bottles into its packaging

GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare (GSKCH) has joined the Pulpex paper bottle partner consortium and will explore incorporating recyclable paper bottles into its packaging. The partnership is part of GSKCH’s commitment for all consumer product packaging to be recyclable or reusable, including eliminating all problematic and unnecessary plastics, where quality and safety permits, by 2025.

Pulpex Limited has developed a first-of-its-kind, scalable paper bottle made from sustainably sourced pulp. In addition to being 100 percent polyethylene terephthalate (PET)-free, the bottle meets food safety standards and will be recyclable in standard paper waste streams, which have a far higher yield than plastic waste streams.

Mike Anstey, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Pilot Lite, which established Pulpex with spirits producer Diageo, commented: “We are proud to have an innovative company like GSK Consumer Healthcare with its portfolio of science-based brands as a member of the Pulpex consortium. GSK Consumer Healthcare is not only a world leader in the consumer healthcare market, they are now providing the type of brand leadership needed to minimise the environmental footprint of packaging.”

First generation Pulpex bottle [Credit: Pulpex Limited].

Pulpex formed its partner consortium of world-leading consumer goods companies to ensure that the packaging technology is widely adopted. In addition to GSKCH, the consortium includes Diageo, Unilever and PepsiCo, with other partners expected to join later this year.

According to the enterprise, the bottle technology is customisable and allows companies to produce different shapes and sizes of single-mould bottles to fit their needs.

GSKCH is exploring the design and pilot of Pulpex bottles for products from three brands within its portfolio: Centrum, a multivitamin brand; Sensodyne, a dentist-recommended sensitivity toothpaste; and parodontax, a gum care brand.

Sarah McDonald, Vice President of Sustainability, GSK Consumer Healthcare, remarked: “We are determined to explore alternative packaging materials where we can, while ensuring the quality, safety and efficacy of our products. We hope that by commercialising this technology for our industry, others will be able to follow.”

GSKCH’s target of making all product packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025 is part of a wider focus by GSK, which announced in 2020 ambitious new environmental sustainability goals in both climate and nature.