Pulpex Limited (www.pulpex.com) is a new world-leading sustainable packaging technology company established by venture management firm Pilot Lite and spirits producer Diageo. The company has developed a first-of-its-kind scalable paper bottle that is 100% PET-free. Made from sustainably sourced pulp, the Pulpex bottle meets food safety standards and will be recyclable in standard paper waste streams, which have a far higher yield than plastic waste streams.
Mike Anstey, Co-Founder and CEO, Pilot Lite, said: “We’re proud to have an innovative company like GSK Consumer Healthcare with its portfolio of science-based brands as a member of the Pulpex consortium. GSK Consumer Healthcare is not only a world leader in the consumer healthcare market, they are now providing the type of brand leadership needed to minimize the environmental footprint of packaging.”
Pulpex formed a partner consortium of world-leading fast-moving consumer goods companies to ensure that the packaging technology is widely adopted and used in every area of life. In addition to GSKCH, the consortium includes Diageo, Unilever and PepsiCo, with other partners expected to join later this year. The customizable Pulpex technology allows partner companies to produce different shapes and sizes of single-mould bottles to fit the needs of their brands.
GSKCH is exploring the design and pilot of Pulpex bottles for products from three brands within its portfolio: Centrum, Sensodyne and parodontax. Centrum is the world’s number one multivitamin brand. Sensodyne is the world's number one, most dentist-recommended sensitivity toothpaste, with a product range that includes mouthwashes and toothbrushes. parodontax is the number one gum care brand in Europe, helping to stop bleeding gums since 1937.
Sarah McDonald, VP of Sustainability, GSK Consumer Healthcare, said: “We are determined to explore alternative packaging materials where we can, while ensuring the quality, safety and efficacy of our products. We hope that by commercialising this technology for our industry, others will be able to follow.”
Last year, GSK announced ambitious new environmental sustainability goals in both climate and nature. Pulpex is proud to be a part of GSKCH’s commitment to ambitious targets for all consumer product packaging to be recyclable or reusable, including eliminating all problematic and unnecessary plastics, where quality and safety permits, by 2025.
