Oakland, CA — Ecologic Brands' hybrid bottle, which combines a thin plastic pouch in a recycled-cardboard shell, is being tested by Straus Family Creamery.
Starting this month, Straus products at the Whole Foods Market store in Oakland, Calif., will come packaged in the paper-plastic bottle, with plans to roll the bottle out at other Whole Foods locations in the state.
Ecologic's bottle is comprised of a pouch made of #4 plastic, which is widely recycled in California and other areas. The outer shell is made of 100 percent recycled corrugated cardboard, and is recyclable and compostable. By using plastic only in the pouch, the bottle uses about 70 percent less plastic than all-plastic milk jugs.
Ecologic is seeking to expand its packaging to juice, wine, water, laundry detergent and home cleaning uses.
A similar liquid packaging, the GreenBottle, has been used by retailers in the U.K.