Paper bottles for wine, spirits & oils
Meet the Frugal Bottle, the world's first commercially available paper bottle. It's five times lighter than glass, has a carbon footprint up to 84% lower1, and it's already on shelf with 71 brands in 27 countries2.
On shelf at
The numbers
Glass is heavy, energy-hungry and getting more expensive to ship, recycle and pay EPR on. Here's what changes when the bottle is made of paper.
84%
lower carbon footprint than a glass bottle1
5×
lighter than glass, so it's cheaper and cleaner to ship1
94%+
recycled paperboard in every shell, rising to 100% on FBAM-2 bottles6
78%
lower UK EPR fees than an average glass bottle4
Source: life cycle assessment by Intertek for Frugalpac (2020, updated 2023): new 750ml Frugal Bottle made on FBAM-2 vs a standard 750ml glass bottle. Glass recycled content is the industry average.1
“Packaging is no longer just a design choice, it's a climate decision.”
The Frugal Bottle
A shatterproof shell of recycled paperboard protects a slim food-grade pouch. Your wine, spirit or oil only ever touches food-safe material, and your brand gets a canvas that wraps all the way round.
At least 94% recycled paperboard, or 100% on FBAM-2 bottles. Shatterproof, light and printable through 360° for real shelf impact.
Holds the liquid like bag-in-box, but in a bottle. It uses up to 77% less plastic than a PET bottle3 and the bottle blocks light completely to protect what's inside.
The classic 750ml Bordeaux shape with a 30mm screw cap, and a shelf life of more than 12 months with wine.
The shell and pouch come apart in seconds at home, so each part can go into the right recycling stream.
1Press to split
2Separate by hand
3Recycle shell & pouch
Proven on shelf
Cantina Goccia's first wine in a Frugal Bottle sold out twice in 2020. Since then, more than 4 million have been made for 71 brands in 27 countries2.
Target · USA
REWE · Germany
Systembolaget · Sweden
Half Shell Spirits · Florida
Mother of Pearl · Australia
When In Rome · UK
2,200+
ROSSMANN · Germany
Plus Sainsbury's, Aldi, Morrisons and Tesco in the UK, and Whole Foods, 7-Eleven, Total Wine & More and LCBO in North America.
Find your route out of glass
Launch a new SKU or move a best-seller out of glass. We'll help with samples, artwork for the 360° canvas and an approved filler near you.
Make Frugal Bottles on site with the FBAM-2: up to 14 million a year from a standard three-lane line, with lease-purchase finance available.
Give shoppers a lower-carbon choice that stands out on shelf. Aldi, Sainsbury's, Target and ROSSMANN already have.
FBAM-2 · Frugal Bottle Assembly Machine
Designed and built at our engineering centre in Ipswich, the FBAM-2 assembles Frugal Bottles right next to your filling line, taking freight, carbon and cost out of every case. Its modular lanes mean capacity grows with you.
Lease-purchase finance through Siemens Financial Services. Spread the investment and start producing sooner, subject to standard lending criteria.
The FBAM-2 is the industrial rollout the mass market has been waiting for.
Frugal Bottles are already made locally by Monterey Wine Company in California and KinsBrae Packaging in Ontario.
Impact calculator
Move the slider to your annual volume to see how much carbon and weight your range could take out of the supply chain.
Indicative figures based on Frugalpac's published saving of 348g CO2e per bottle and a 357g weight saving per bottle (83g vs 440g glass)7.
87 t
CO2e saved every year
89 t
less weight to ship
219,000
petrol car miles' worth of CO2e
Why brands are switching
We can't replace all glass bottles and canisters overnight. But we can start today.
Producers are realizing that sustainability in the vineyard must carry through to the packaging on the shelf.
We know sustainable packaging isn't a flash in the pan. It's what our customers now expect.
Collective Good is committed to protecting the environment, one bottle at a time.
From a shed to 27 countries
Frugalpac was founded in a shed in 2011. Today our team designs, builds and exports paper bottle technology from Ipswich to brands, bottlers and retailers around the world.
2024
Innovation
2023
Best in Class, Technical Design in Packaging Innovation
Winner
SME of the Year
As featured on
Latest news
FAQs
Can't see yours? Email hello@frugalpac.com or call +44 (0)1473 599070.
Yes. The liquid sits in a food-grade pouch and never touches the paperboard, and the bottle blocks light completely. Shelf life with wine is in excess of 12 months; other products are trialled case by case.
Press to split the shell, separate the pouch by hand, then recycle the paperboard with household paper and card, and the pouch wherever flexible plastics are collected.
Wine, spirits, ready-to-drink cocktails and edible oils are all on shelf in Frugal Bottles today. Other liquids are subject to trial.
Made on the FBAM-2, Frugal Bottles reach price parity, or better, with a labelled glass bottle5. They're five times lighter to ship and, in the UK, attract 78% lower EPR fees than an average glass bottle4. Ask us for pricing at your volumes.
Yes. Use one of the approved filling partners in our Fill Good Collective (15+ fillers in 12 countries) or talk to us about filling in-house. The bottle takes a 30mm ROPP screw cap.
Yes. The FBAM-2 assembles Frugal Bottles on your site: around 4.5 million a year per lane, or up to 14 million from a standard three-lane line. Lease-purchase finance is available through Siemens Financial Services, subject to standard lending criteria.
Our carbon, water and weight comparisons come from a life cycle assessment carried out by Intertek (2020, updated 2023), comparing a 750ml Frugal Bottle with a standard 750ml glass bottle. Every figure on this page is referenced in the sources below.
Get started
Tell us what you make and roughly how many bottles you need. We'll come back with samples, pricing and the quickest route to shelf.
Paula KendallCommercial Manager, handling enquiries from brands worldwide
Press enquiries: david@larkinpr.co.uk
This page is a concept preview, so your enquiry hasn't been sent yet. To reach the Frugalpac team today, email hello@frugalpac.com or call +44 (0)1473 599070.
