Case Study: Diageo achieves more sustainable packaging with PA Consulting and PulPac Bottle Collective

Diageo unveils first 80 ml Dry Molded Fiber bottle with PA Consulting

PA Consulting collaborated with global drinks leader Diageo, which was seeking innovative ways to reduce the carbon footprint of its traditional heavy glass bottles as part of its 'grain-to-glass sustainability' goals. The challenge was to find a more sustainable packaging alternative that was also commercially viable and could retain strong brand identity for products like Baileys.

The solution was the development of a pioneering Dry Molded Fiber (DMF) paper bottle made from sustainably sourced plant fibers, a technology from PulPac. PA Consulting led a multidisciplinary team to ensure the bottle was structurally sound, commercially scalable, and retained Diageo's desired brand features. The result was the first commercially viable DMF bottle, which significantly reduces water and energy consumption during manufacturing, is fully recyclable, and is cost-competitive. A prototype for a Baileys mini bottle was unveiled for consumer testing at Time Out Fest 2024.

Diageo