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A Recycled Neck-Hanger for Coca-Cola’s First-Of-Its-Kind Paper Bottle
Coca-Cola has taken a big step towards a long-term solution to the world’s growing plastic problem. In alignment with their 2030 goal of producing zero waste, they collaborated with The Paper Bottle Company to create the first-ever paper bottle prototype. In summer 2021, they ran a 2,000 bottle market experiment in Hungary for their plant-based beverage AdeZ. The paper bottle had a plastic lid and a thin plastic lining to protect the product as the companies worked together to innovate a completely zero-plastic solution.
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The challenge — finding the perfect fit
Coca-Cola teamed up with MCC Italy to create a folding carton neck-hanger for this exciting trial. The neck-hanger features a QR code that directs consumers to additional information about the product — a great way to increase consumer engagement. The trick was creating a hanger that would be able to fit the bottle’s unique shape while being strong enough to withstand a hand application. Not to mention, the hanger would need to be as environmentally conscious as the bottle.
The solution — recycled folding carton neck hangers
MCC created six preliminary mockup designs to meet Coca-Cola’s needs. The designs were printed on three 100% recycled papers, all with different grammages. Coca-Cola chose the version that they thought would best convey a “natural” feeling to customers. Using a six-pronged insertion hole system, the MCC team was able to create a hanger that fits securely to the bottleneck while still being easy to put on. What’s more, the folding carton was printed on both sides with a low-energy consumption UV LED printer using low-migration ink, an extra step to ensure the most sustainable production possible.
The result — a sustainable hanger for an innovative bottle
MCC has been proactive in finding ‘green’ solutions and bringing a fully recycled product to market.”
Daphne Ronat, Packaging Engineer at Coca-Cola
Through careful material research and design, MCC was happy to produce an aesthetically and tactilely appealing hanger to match Coca-Cola’s groundbreaking bottle.