Frugalpac, the British company behind the world's first commercially available Frugal Bottle for wines, spirits and olive oils, has partnered with Siemens Financial Services (SFS) to make its next-generation Frugal Bottle Assembly Machine (FBAM-2) more accessible through customer financing.
Under the agreement, Siemens Financial Services, part of Siemens AG, will provide qualifying customers with structured lease-purchase financing, subject to standard lending criteria. The initiative is designed to help wine, spirits and olive oil producers invest in local paper bottle manufacturing while accelerating the transition to lower-carbon packaging solutions.
The FBAM-2 marks a significant advancement in Frugalpac's paper bottle manufacturing technology. Featuring a scalable, multi-lane design with advanced automation, the standard three-lane configuration is capable of producing up to 14 million Frugal Bottles annually—more than five times the output of the previous FBAM-1 platform.
Designed to improve both sustainability and manufacturing efficiency, the latest Frugal Bottle is produced using 100 percent recycled paperboard and weighs just 71 grams, making it approximately six times lighter than a conventional glass bottle. According to Frugalpac, the bottle delivers an 84 percent lower carbon footprint than a standard glass alternative, helping brands reduce packaging-related emissions while improving logistics efficiency.
Siemens has also supplied the advanced automation components integrated into the FBAM-2 platform, strengthening the long-standing collaboration between the two companies. The new financing programme complements this partnership by reducing the financial barriers associated with adopting next-generation paper bottle manufacturing technology.
As packaging producers face increasing pressure to reduce carbon emissions, comply with Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations and strengthen supply chain resilience, localised bottle production is becoming increasingly important. By enabling paper bottles to be assembled closer to filling facilities, the FBAM-2 helps minimise transportation distances, lower logistics costs and improve supply chain flexibility.
"The support from Siemens Financial Services is a strong endorsement of our technology and our vision to accelerate the adoption of lower-carbon packaging across the global wine, spirits and olive oil industries," said Malcolm Waugh, CEO of Frugalpac. "The agreement provides customers with an easier route to installing Frugal Bottle Assembly Machines, enabling local production while reducing carbon emissions, EPR costs and transportation impacts."
Carolyn Newsham, Account Manager at Siemens Financial Services, added that accessible financing is essential for accelerating sustainable innovation. She noted that the agreement will help customers invest in advanced manufacturing technology that supports local production, strengthens supply chains and contributes to broader sustainability objectives.
Since its commercial launch in 2020, the Frugal Bottle has expanded into 27 countries, with products reaching major retailers including Aldi, Sainsbury's, Target, 7-Eleven, Whole Foods and Carrefour. Frugalpac has also deployed FBAM-1 machines in the United States and Canada, supporting the growing demand for paper bottle production in North America.
The new partnership represents another step in Frugalpac's international growth strategy, helping packaging manufacturers, beverage producers and licensed partners scale paper bottle production while accelerating the industry's transition toward more sustainable, locally manufactured packaging solutions.