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Cove announced the launch of its PB1 platform, a scalable fiber bottle technology designed to address growing consumer concern around plastic pollution. PB1 bottles are 90 to 95 percent fiber depending on the size and use a proprietary biobased barrier developed by Cove. The patented multi-piece system is engineered to run on existing molded fiber thermoforming lines, allowing rapid scaling without new factory infrastructure.
Consumer demand for sustainable formats continues to accelerate. Sustainable product lines are growing four to six times faster than conventional ones, and recent consumer research highlights the shift. In a UK and US survey, 87 percent of respondents said they would choose a fiber bottle recyclable with paper over plastic, more than 80 percent were willing to pay at least a 10 percent premium. 85 percent noted they had changed a purchasing decision in the past 12 months because of the packaging material too.
With packaging regulations tightening across Europe and the US in response to this consumer demand, as well as new extended producer responsibility fees coming into effect, global brands face increasing pressure to cut plastic use and reduce carbon impact quickly. Many have set 2030 reduction targets, yet practical large-scale alternatives remain limited.
“PB1 gives brands a practical way to reduce plastic use at scale,” said Alex Totterman, Founder and CEO of Cove. “We set out to build a fiber bottle platform that brands can actually launch and scale with. A format that fits existing manufacturing infrastructure, works in paper recycling streams and meets real commercial requirements. With consumer expectations rising and regulatory requirements tightening, PB1 offers a path that can satisfy both.”
Cove, the developer of PB1, is a materials and packaging innovation company backed by investors including Valor Equity Partners, Marc Benioff, James Murdoch, Tony Robbins, Gregory Wasson (former Walgreens CEO) and others. The company pioneered the world’s first fully biodegradable water bottle and has since evolved its biobased materials IP into the PB1 platform to provide a more scalable, cost-competitive solution that uses established paper recycling infrastructure.
PB1 is the result of years of development and testing. The bottles are designed to work within existing paper recycling systems and to overcome limitations that have held back previous fiber bottle attempts. The platform delivers 90 to 100 percent plastic reduction depending on application and has shown strong performance on recyclability and carbon. Cove’s preliminary life cycle assessment shows the potential for lower carbon than PET at scale, with additional advantages over aluminum and glass in both carbon and cost. In independent testing with Circpak Veolia across UK and EU material recovery facilities, PB1 achieved successful NIR detection, correct fiber classification and strong performance in static, partial dynamic and full dynamic sorting. Repulping evaluations showed high fiber recovery, low rejects and clean reclaimed fiber.
Cove’s customers include industry leaders such as Pernod Ricard, who are among the first advancing fiber bottle development with PB1. The company is also collaborating with additional global category leaders and fast-growing emerging brands evaluating the format. Based on current programs, Cove projects PB1 volume potential in the tens of millions of units by 2027.
“Our vision at Absolut and Pernod Ricard is to bring a scalable paper bottle to market. It is a true industry challenge, and we are pleased to explore together with Cove how we could make this vision a reality,” said Eric Näf, Head of Packaging Development at The Absolut Company, part of the Pernod Ricard group.
Cove is ramping up production for its first customer launches in 2026, focused initially on cosmetics, personal care and nutraceutical applications in both Europe and the United States.
