Posted on 02/14/2021 10:08:24 AM PST by Kaslin
Have you been unfortunate fortunate enough to try a paper straw?
Being on the West Coast, I’ve had the pleasure.
Many, many times.
For those of you yet to partake, you’ll love it — assuming you have the digestive system of a goat.
As for function, the straw pulls double duty.
For the first 4 minutes, it allows you to swallow liquid.
At 4:01 and beyond — in my experience — it feeds you a paper stick.
MMMmmmMMM good.
Apropos, Coca-Cola’s about to try a paper bottle.
From The Daily Wire:
Coca-Cola plans to do a test-run of 2,000 paper bottles this summer to see how they perform in the marketplace and with consumers. The prototype was made “by a Danish company from an extra-long paper shell that still contains a thin plastic liner.” It is a first step in a long-term project of completely ridding plastic from the company’s drink containers.
Per the British Broadcasting Company, the mission “is to create a 100% recyclable, plastic-free bottle capable of preventing gas escaping from carbonated drinks.”
And here’s a trick: “The barrier must…ensure no [fibers] flake off into the liquid.”
Because:
[Failure would risk] altering the taste of the drink — or potentially fall foul of health and safety checks.
As worded by the BBC, America’s favorite soft drink aims to produce “zero waste by 2030.”
Clearly, it’s impossible to produce no waste. But Coke has reason to turn a new leaf: Last year, charity organization Break Free From Plastic deemed it the world’s number one plastic polluter.
In service to a transformation, the Danish enterprise — Paper Bottle Company, or Paboco — has accomplished quite a feat — the biodegradable container had to be moldable to various shapes as well as take inked labels.
More from BBC:
After more than seven years of lab work, the firm is now ready to host a trial in Hungary this summer of Coca-Cola’s fruit drink Adez. Initially, this will involve 2,000 bottles distributed via a local retail chain.
And they’re not just doing it for Coke:
Absolut, the vodka-maker, is due to test 2,000 paper bottles of it own in the UK and Sweden of its pre-mixed, carbonated raspberry drink. And beer company Carlsberg is also building prototypes of a paper beer bottle.
So how do you make curved paper pass muster?
Michael Michelsen, the firm’s commercial manager, says the bottles are formed out of a single piece of paper-fibre-based material to give them strength.“That’s part of the secret really,” he explained, adding that [molding] a single object – rather than relying on joins – ensured the bonds between the fibres stayed robust.
“With a clever combination of product design and the strong [fiber] blend, that’s what makes it really possible to not break under pressure.”
In theory, it’s been sufficiently engineered.
However — as noted by Michael — they won’t know for sure ’til taking a real-world shot.
Would you buy a soft drink contained in curved paper?
You may soon get your chance.
When the time comes, a word of advice: Don’t use a paper straw.
Are these like milk cartons? How do they hold in the carbonation?
I remember paper straws from early elementary school in the 60’s.
I have an idea, how about glass bottles. Less dangerous chemicals in the manufacturing process.
Maybe they should just go back to glass bottles. Made from sand which is everywhere. Which can be pulverized back into sand. How much more recyclable can you get?
Would be better if you just drank water and avoided all the extra sugar and chemicals. Nasty stuff
Dont buy “Woke” Coke. Problem solved.
And why not glass bottles?
Refillable glass bottles created no waste, and the nickel deposit caused many a roadside to be picked up by teenagers to pay for gas!
Glass bottles. Hey they still work in the Philippines for both soft drinks and beer. Amazing that.
I read this the other day, its stupid.
Its still basically a plastic bottle.
I pondered this concept long ago. Eventually they should be able to come up with a container that easily degrades but still does its job. I wish them luck.
What is paper made out of again?
I don’t think that a standard paper milk carton could handle the pressurized contents of a carbonated soft drink. It’d have to be thicker, stronger paper and the sealing system would need to be more durable.
and they taste way better
what if opening the container releases the carbonation from a pellet
so they threw the rain forest under the bus?
“And here’s a trick: “The barrier must…ensure no [fibers] flake off into the liquid.””
Simply coat the paper bottle inside with pine pitch.
Which would raise the question as to whether or not it is really any more environmentally friendly...
While Coke was once my choice for a cola I no longer use the product.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.