British sustainable packaging company Frugalpac has signed a letter of intent with one of the largest value-added converters of packaging in South Asia, ITC Limited-Packaging and Printing Business, to bring paper Frugal Bottles to India in a ground-breaking collaboration to decarbonize the drinks industry.

Frugalpac’s new collaboration with ITC’s Packaging & Printing Business will see them promote and grow the demand for paper bottles in India with a view to eventually producing these low-carbon bottles in India.

The Frugal Bottle is made from 94% recycled paperboard with a food grade pouch to hold the liquid, is five times lighter than a glass bottle and crucially has a carbon footprint 84% lower than bottles made from glass with a water footprint four times lower too.

The collaboration was announced just days before ProWine Mumbai, where Frugalpac will be exhibiting its Frugal Bottles and promoting the machines that make them.

India’s alcohol industry size is estimated to reach USD 55 billion by the end of this year. Frugalpac and ITC hope to tap into Indian consumers who are more concerned about sustainability.

The collaboration underpins ITC’s Sustainability 2.0 plan which aims to support sustainable livelihoods, pursue newer ways to fight climate change, enable the transition to a net zero economy, work towards ensuring water security for all and create an effective circular economy for post-consumer packaging waste.

Frugalpac has been invited by the UK’s Department for Business and Trade to join a British delegation of companies to display its sustainable paper bottles at Britain is GREAT stand at ProWine Mumbai on 8-9 November at the Jio World Convention Centre.

Frugalpac also exhibited at ProWine Mumbai’s sister show ProWein in Düsseldorf in March this year.

More than 45 different drinks producers from around the world have launched 128 different SKUs of wines, spirits and olive oils in the Frugal Bottle. They are available in 25 countries including Australia, Japan, North America, Canada, the UK, across Europe, Scandinavia, and South Africa.

SN Venkataraman, CEO of ITC’s Packaging and Printing Business, said, “Sustainability is hugely important to ITC. As a business, we are proud to have been at the forefront of bringing sustainable packaging solutions in the Indian market. ITC’s Packaging Business has had a strong association with the Alcobev industry in India through supplies of monocartons, rigid boxes and labels. Frugalpac is the perfect business partner as we take another big step to help decarbonize the packaging for this industry across India and South Asia.”

“ITC’s Packaging & Printing Business was founded in 1925 so it’s fitting as we mark our centenary next year, that we work with Frugalpac to promote a paper bottle that not only cuts carbon footprint by 84% but also reduces the water footprint of bottles by four times too,” added Malcolm Waugh, CEO of Frugalpac.

“India’s alcoholic beverage market is ranked sixth globally in terms of revenue generation so it was vital we collaborated with a company that has the experience, reach and commitment to sustainability to bring our paper bottle revolution to South Asia.

“ITC has a long history of packaging expertise so they were the ideal partner for our Frugal Bottle and the machines that make them. India is a huge growth market for us and we’re confident that both drinks brands and consumers are keen to make the move from glass to paper bottles.

“We’d like to thank ITC for undertaking this venture with Frugalpac and also to the UK’s Department for Business and Trade for inviting us to ProWine Mumbai to raise awareness of the world’s first and only commercially available paper bottle for wines and spirits.”