Goa’s Rhea Distillery unveils India’s first paper bottle

A significant step toward sustainable packaging in India’s spirits sector was unveiled as Goa-based Rhea Distilleries launched the country’s first commercially available paper bottle for its Fidalgo Premium Cashew Feni spirit. The landmark move was announced during UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s trade mission to India on 9 October.

The initiative is a collaboration between the UK’s sustainable packaging firm, Frugalpac, India’s ITC’s Packaging and Printing Business, and the Goan producer, Rhea Distilleries. It was hailed as a tangible outcome of the strengthening trade relationship between the two nations following the recent signing of a major trade deal.

The product, known as the Frugal Bottle, was developed by Ipswich-based Frugalpac. Constructed from 94% recycled paperboard and featuring a food-grade liner, the bottle is engineered to be five times lighter than traditional glass, resulting in a carbon footprint that is up to six times lower. Crucially, the design allows the paper shell to be easily separated from the liner for recycling through existing waste streams.

Following a recent visit to India, Frugalpac formalised a partnership with ITC to introduce both the paper bottles and the machinery required to produce them across the South Asian region. Rhea Distilleries has now commissioned an initial production run of the innovative packaging for its traditional cashew apple brandy, which will first be available in select Goan markets.

With India’s alcohol market valued at approximately USD 55-billion and consumer demand for greener products soaring, the collaboration is poised to usher in a new era of sustainable packaging within the subcontinent’s massive beverage sector.