Aldi launches wine in paper bottles

ldi is launching the UK’s first supermarket own-brand paper wine bottle. The bottles, manufactured by British company Frugalpac, are made from 94% recycled paperboard with a food-grade pouch to contain the wine. The bottles are fully recyclable and five times lighter than a standard glass bottle. The two wines chosen for the launch were presented on Frugalpac’s interactive stand focusing on the future of wine retailing, at ProWein this month. The wines, a Shiraz and a Sauvignon blanc branded Cambalala and retailing for £7.99 in 75cl formats, reached the shelves on March 18 to coincide with Global Recycling Day. Aldi is not only aiming to leverage the paper bottles’ green credentials, it also hopes consumers will appreciate the convenience offered by these shatterproof, light and therefore easy-to-carry formats ahead of the picnic and festival season.

“Shoppers are striving to become more sustainable in their everyday lives, looking for small ways to make a big difference for our planet”, claims Julie Ashfield, managing director of buying at Aldi UK. “Our buying teams are continuously thinking of how we can evolve our ranges to offer greater value and greener choices”. Aldi partnered with British paper bottle manufacturer Frugalpac which markets its bottles in 25 countries and also sells Frugal Bottle assembly machines. Each machine can produce 2.5 million paper bottles a year, the aim being to establish production hubs around the world that can cut carbon emissions even further by reduced transportation and promote the use of locally-sourced materials whilst also creating jobs. The first Frugal Bottle assembly machine was shipped to Canada and became operational in January 2024, serving the Canadian and North American drinks markets. A second machine in California will be operational in the second quarter of the year and a third order is in the pipeline in Australia.