UK retailer, ASDA, has launched an innovative recycled cardboard milk container: the first milk bottle in the UK to be 91 per cent recycled (from waste office paper) and 99 per cent recyclable. The two litre milk bottle, created by GreenBottle, has a carbon footprint that is 48 per cent lower than plastic.

GreenBottles have an outer shell which is made from recycled paper, which can then be further recycled. The low density inner liner, which takes up less than 0.5 per cent of the space of a traditional plastic bottle if put into a landfill, prevents liquid from contaminating the paper outer.

Chris Brown, Head of Ethical and Sustainable Sourcing at ASDA, reports that the new packaging is not only environmentally-friendly but also very suitable for consumer use. “Milk is one of our highest selling products, and as such, we have a responsibility to develop alternative packaging making it easier for our customers to go green and to help them recycle at home,” he said. “Also, unlike products that are being trialled by other retailers such as the pouch, this milk bottle is robust, practical and fit for purpose, meaning there is no danger of spilled milk at breakfast time.”

Simon King, Chief Executive of Greenbottle, added that the association with ASDA highlighted that environmentally friendly products were now no longer niche. “We are delighted to be distributing the GreenBottle through ASDA, who have been incredibly supportive,” he commented. “Our partnership is a perfect example of how environmentally friendly products can be taken to the mainstream.”

According to the latest government figures from WRAP, just 25% of plastic bottles in the domestic waste stream are currently recycled, with the rest going to landfill.

The innovative milk bottles have been launched as part of ASDA’s ongoing pledge to reduce packaging across its products while simultaneously increasing the amount of its packaging that can be recycled - ASDA is still on track to achieve zero waste to landfill by 2010.

The new milk bottles will launch in just one outlet initially, with plans for a wider roll out to take place to 14 stores throughout East Anglia later this year.