Frugalpac, the British sustainable packaging company behind the world’s first commercially available paper bottle for wines and spirits, is underlining how Sweden is accelerating the adoption of lower-carbon packaging, as a new wave of drinks brands launches in paper bottles across the country.
The latest launches demonstrate how packaging with a significantly lower carbon footprint is increasingly acting as a route to market in sustainability-driven and tightly regulated systems, with Sweden widely regarded as a global benchmark for environmentally led alcohol retail.
During Q4 2025, producers Belizean Blue Spirits Company (Netherlands), Distillerie du Peyrat (France) and Fluid Minds (Sweden) all secured Systembolaget listings using the Frugal Bottle, demonstrating how packaging with a significantly lower carbon footprint is increasingly being used as a competitive advantage.
They join a number of brands already listed in Systembolaget in Frugal Bottles, including Buen Vato Tequilla Blanco by Alias Smith and Arniston Bay Sauvignon Blanc by South African producer Stellenbosch.
The Frugal Bottle is made from 94% recycled paperboard with a recyclable food-grade pouch liner. It is up to five times lighter than glass, uses 77% less plastic, and has a carbon footprint up to six times lower than a standard glass bottle.
Widely regarded as one of the world’s most environmentally demanding alcohol retailers, Systembolaget assesses packaging based on measurable environmental performance rather than tradition, allowing premium wines and spirits to be sold in non-glass formats where clear sustainability benefits are demonstrated. In some categories, tenders now specify that products must be packaged in paper bottles.
Similar state-controlled systems operate across the Nordics, with Norway’s Vinmonopolet and Finland’s Alko also placing increasing emphasis on sustainability in product selection.
Together, the Nordic monopolies are helping to drive a wider shift toward lower-carbon packaging across the global drinks industry.
Frugal Bottles on sale in Vinmonopolet include an Italian red wine by Casa Volpi and an organic Spanish red wine Querencia Garnacha 2024 by San Alejandro, while neighbouring Alko carries the Italian winery Famiglia Grillo’s Organic Red 2022.
New launches in Sweden – cocktail, rum and cognac listings
Produced by Gothenburg-based Fluid Minds AB, Tapdance Espresso Martini is a modern take on the classic cocktail, combining Swedish vodka with espresso and coffee liqueur. Best served chilled and over ice, it offers a contemporary, lower-impact way to enjoy a premium espresso martini.
Fluid Minds CEO and Managing Director Ludwig Herbert Dinsmore Matsson, said:
“Tapdance was created to rethink what ready-to-drink cocktails can be. This espresso martini brings together craftsmanship, modern flavour and lighter packaging in a format that fits contemporary drinking occasions.”
Belizean Blue Spirits Company has secured a Systembolaget listing for its Belizean Blue Signature Blend Rum, packaged in a special Fairtrade Frugal Bottle edition. Crafted and aged for up to seven years by family-owned Travellers Liquors Ltd. in Belize, the rum offers a smooth, sweet and spicy profile with notes of coconut and vanilla.
Belizean Blue Spirits Company Founder and Managing Director Jacco Kroon, said:
“We are proud to combine Fairtrade-certified rum production with innovative sustainable packaging. Our Signature Blend reflects Belize’s heritage while demonstrating that responsible choices can enhance premium products.”
Meanwhile, family-owned cognac house Distillerie du Peyrat, a pioneer of organic cognac production, has launched its Organic Selection Cognac at Systembolaget in a limited release of 4,200 bottles. Certified organic and aged for an average of three years, the cognac is produced without synthetic chemicals and packaged in a Frugal Bottle.
Distillerie du Peyrat Cellar Master Antoine Rault, said:
“Preserving our craft for future generations means protecting the environment it depends on. Sustainable practices and packaging are essential to passing on both our traditions and the essence of our cognacs.”
Lower-carbon packaging as a route to market
Frugalpac CEO Malcolm Waugh, said:
“Systembolaget is one of the toughest alcohol markets in the world to win a listing. Lower-carbon packaging is no longer optional, it’s becoming a requirement for market access.”
“Our customers are very different producers, but each has recognised that reducing packaging emissions strengthens their proposition in markets like Sweden.
“And the Frugal Bottle gives brands a practical way to cut carbon without compromising on quality or shelf impact.
“That’s why some of the tenders Systembolaget put out specify must be in our paper bottle, which is a great validation of what we’re trying to do.
“As the Nordics continue to lead, they are setting a model the rest of the world will increasingly be expected to follow in 2026 and beyond.”
