Avantium, Bottle Collective partner to launch fiber bottles

Avantium, a Netherlands-based company focused on renewable and circular polymer materials, has announced its partnership with the Bottle Collective aimed at showcasing fiber bottles made from dry molded fiber (DMF) technology.

Avantium’s plant-based polymer, polyethylene furanoate (PEF), will be integrated into the DMF process, aiming to enhance the bottles’ barrier performance and sustainability.

The Bottle Collective was launched in 2023 by PA Consulting, a management and transformation consultancy, and PulPac, a Swedish research and development (R&D) and intellectual property company behind the proprietary production process of DMF. PulPac says its DMF technology uses renewable pulp and cellulose resources to produce low-cost, high-performance fiber-based packaging. According to the company, the process uses less CO2 than plastic and conventional wet molding options, with almost no water used in manufacturing.

In 2024, LogoPlaste, a global provider of sustainable rigid packaging solutions, joined as a member of the Bottle Collective. LogoPlaste specializes in injection molding and blowing. The Bottle Collective says it has developed the first functioning prototypes. Global brand partners including Diageo, Opella and Haleon also have joined the Bottle Collective to continue developing and scaling fiber bottles.

Avantium says it will provide PEF to the Bottle Collective for injection molding and blowing liners for the fiber bottles, adding that PEF is a 100 percent-plant-based, fully recyclable polymer with superior barrier properties, making it an ideal material for sustainable packaging solutions.

According to the company, PEF’s barrier properties protect the taste and fizziness of packaged drinks, leading to a longer shelf life. PEF also has higher mechanical strength than conventional plastics, enabling thinner packaging and thereby reducing the amount of material required, the company says.

PA Consulting says it has worked to scale up DMF packaging and bring the bottles to global customers. Keith Thornley, commercial lead for DMF collectives at PA Consulting, says, “We’re pleased to have Avantium join us as a technical partner in the Bottle Collective. Avantium’s participation in the Bottle Collective aligns perfectly with our mission to fundamentally change the environmental footprint of packaging.”

"Avantium’s innovative, plant-based polymer PEF offers exceptional sustainability and high-performance benefits for our Dry Molded Fiber bottles," Logoplaste Chief Technology Officer Paulo Correia says. "This collaboration highlights our commitment to pioneering sustainable packaging solutions and leveraging cutting-edge materials like PEF to meet the evolving needs of our partners."

Bineke Posthumus, Avantium’s director of business development, says that along with its brand partners, the collective can fast-track the bottles’ development.

“Our polymer PEF can play a crucial role in enhancing the sustainability and performance of these bottles, offering superior barrier properties and mechanical strength," Posthumus says. "This partnership aligns perfectly with Avantium’s mission to create innovative, plant-based solutions that contribute to a circular economy.”