Through its partnership with Pulpex, PepsiCo has embarked on an R&D and Design quest that could change the face of packaging as we know it.

As he sat in a packaging brainstorming meeting in 2019, Ron Khan knew he had a potentially groundbreaking ambition: paper bottles for beverages.

“Many years ago, we wanted to pursue this concept, but couldn’t find the right technology,” recalls Khan, PepsiCo Vice President of Packaging for Beverages. “I knew we needed to make this happen now.”

Two years later, Khan can hold a prototype for the world’s first fully recyclable paper bottle in his hand. Thanks to a cutting-edge partnership and the vision of PepsiCo’s Packaging, R&D and Design teams, the development is poised to add an innovative new packaging solution for products throughout the world.

“This bottle offers so many rare opportunities,” Khan says. “It’s sustainably sourced, it’s recyclable, it’s natural — the advantages are huge.”