Frugalpac of Ipswich sells paper bottle machine in Australia

Sustainable packaging company Frugalpac of Ipswich is selling the machine to award-winning  Australian drinks brand Mother of Pearl Vodka.

It follows two North American deals last year when it sold a machine to KinsBrae Packaging in Ontario, Canada, and another to Monterey Wine Company in California.

The move will enable Mother of Pearl to cut the carbon of in its bottles by 84%.

The company already sells its International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) award-winning grape-based vodka in the revolutionary paper Frugal Bottle.

It has now signed a letter of intent with the bottle’s producer to buy its Frugal Bottle Assembly Machine.

Frugalpac - founded in 2011 - scooped the Suffolk Business Awards' Innovation title at last year's ceremony.

Frugalpac bottles are made from 94% recycled cardboard and are five times lighter than glass bottles.

Inside, the bottles have a food grade aluminium pouch - similar to those used in bag-in-box wine - to contain the liquid.

They have a carbon footprint six times lower and use less energy to produce, transport and dispose of than glass equivalents.

The deal was revealed at an Austrade ‘G’Day by the Bay event at the Gardens by the Bay in Singapore on February 23.

The theme of the event was transitioning to a new future and the company celebrated the announcement by serving vodka martinis to the 1,000 attending guests from a special cocktail bar made from cardboard.

They also unveiled a gin in a Frugal Bottle and said they plan to launch a range of wines in the paper bottle too.

The Frugal Bottle Assembly Machine will be able to produce up to 2.5 million paper bottles a year.

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.

More than 35 different drinks producers around the world have launched 128 different items 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 have adopted the sustainable packaging to reflect their respect for Australia’s environment and their outdoor lifestyles.

Nic 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."

Nicola said they wanted their vodka to stand out from the rest.

"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.”

Frugalpac chief executive Malcolm Waugh 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.”