Award-winning Australian drinks brand Mother of Pearl Vodka has announced plans to buy Australia’s first paper bottle machine to help wines and spirits brands in Australasia and South-east Asia to cut the carbon of their bottles by 84%.
The company, which already sells its IWSC award-winning grape-based vodka in the revolutionary paper Frugal Bottle, has signed a letter of intent with the bottle’s producer, British sustainable packaging company Frugalpac, to buy their Frugal Bottle Assembly Machine.
Made from 94% recycled cardboard, Frugal Bottles are five times lighter and have a carbon footprint six times lower than glass bottles - using less energy to produce, transport and dispose of than glass equivalents.
The announcement was made at the Austrade ‘G’Day by the Bay’ event at the Gardens by the Bay in Singapore on Friday February 23rd to highlight a select group of Australian companies showcasing innovations in sustainability including Mother of Pearl Vodka and Qantas Airways. The theme of the event was ‘Transitioning to a New Future.’
To celebrate the announcement, Mother of Pearl Vodka served vodka martinis to the 1,000 attending guests from a special cocktail bar made from cardboard.
They also unveiled at ‘G’Day by the Bay’ a gin in a Frugal Bottle and plan to launch a range of wines in the paper bottle too.
Weighing just 83g (before filled), the bottles have a food grade aluminium pouch inside, similar to those used in bag-in-box wine, to contain the liquid and also offer 360° branding for exceptional, impactful shelf presence.
The Frugal Bottle Assembly Machine will be able to produce up to 2.5 million paper bottles a year and, once installed, Mother of Pearl Vodka will be able to make and fill Frugal Bottles for other drinks brands looking to cut their carbon.
Mother of Pearl Vodka was the first Australian brand to launch in a Frugal Bottle – the world’s first and only commercially available paper bottle for wines and spirits.
They had such a great reception when they launched it at Bar Convent in Singapore last year, they’re now releasing a Gin of the Sea and plan to launch a range of wines in the Frugal Bottle too.
More than 35 different drinks producers from around the world have launched 128 different SKUs of wines, spirits and olive oils in the Frugal Bottle since 2020.
Melbourne-based Mother of Pearl Vodka co-founders Nic Hancock and Nicola Thompson Hancock adopted the sustainable packaging to reflect their respect for Australia’s pristine environment and their outdoor antipodean lifestyles.
Co-founder Nic Hancock said: “We loved the Frugal Bottle so much we decided to buy the machine so we can make them in Australia!
“But we don’t just want to keep this low carbon packaging to ourselves. Sustainability is hugely important to us and we believe every wine and spirit brand in Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia should be given the chance to decarbonise their bottles like us.
“We were proud to be the first Australian producers to use the Frugal Bottle for our premium grape-based vodka but we won’t be the last.
Co-founder and Business Development Director, Nicola Thompson Hancock added: “We’ve always wanted our vodka to stand out from the rest. It’s naturally gluten free vodka with zero sugar, made in Melbourne from late-off-the-vine pinot gris grapes for a full-bodied flavour.
“But just as important to us, is how its presented. The Frugal Bottle, as well as having exceptional eco-credentials, offers the ability to design all across the bottle so you can stand out on shelf, on the table or by the pool.
“The reception to us launching our vodka in a paper bottle has been astounding and inspired us to expand our range into gin and wines. So it was a no brainer to decide to buy our own machine. We can’t wait to help other brands make the switch to paper too.”
Malcolm Waugh, CEO of British sustainable packaging firm Frugalpac said: “We’re very excited that Mother of Pearl Vodka have signed a letter of intent to buy our Frugal Bottle Assembly Machine.
“Australia and Southeast Asia are huge markets for wines and spirits and over the last year we’ve been inundated with requests for paper bottles. Mother of Pearl’s commitment to buy their own Frugal Bottle machine will put them in a great place to meet this demand.
“More than 35 drinks brands are already using the Frugal Bottle Nic and Nicola commitment to the Frugal Bottle Assembly Machine will bring the paper bottle revolution to the Southern Hemisphere and increase this number substantially.”
Find out more about Mother of Pearl Vodka www.motherofpearl.vodka