The philosophy behind Botany’s One Drop Brewing Co is simple: to inspire widespread change using a single action, just like the ripple effect in water caused by an individual drop. At the core of their values is sustainability, and they way they’re inspiring change is through the development of a unique packaging solution for cases of their beer.
What sets this packaging apart is that it’s fully recyclable – there’s no glue, wax or tape used to hold the box together. Rather, it relies on a "fold & hold" design of cardboard flaps to keep everything in place. What’s more, the box is essentially recycled already, using third generation recycled cardboard, and the ink is also bio-friendly.
The idea for the packaging initially came from Nick Calder-Scholes, One Drop’s head brewer, who worked on iterations of the design with the producer, Josh Searle of Phoenix Packaging, based on the Central Coast.
“We wanted something that was totally recyclable, just like our cans,” Nick says. “To have the most sustainable package possible, with the least amount of impact on the environment.”
The entire process, from conceptualisation to adoption, took around two years. The hardest part was finding a supplier who was willing to spend enough time and effort to make the idea a reality – and at an affordable price.
“Josh really engaged with the concept of our brewery and our project, and why we wanted to do it,” Nick says. “It wasn’t us trying to push this concept, rather he really saw what we were trying to do. We went over and over, back and forth, talking about materials, inks, construction, and so on.”
The result is an origami-style box with two flaps on opposite sides, that fold inward and slot between rows of cans.
“Essentially, the weight of the cans and the distance between them holds the two flaps in place, which creates a solid box. Then, the height of the box [which is the height of the cans] creates stability from the top. We wanted to utilise the can for structural integrity, which helped us save on certain amount of cardboard.”
One of the biggest problems to solve was to how to keep the cardboard box from breaking apart once it became wet from condensation.
“We had problems with that with the first prototype,” Nick says, laughing. “We put it in the fridge, took it out like you would at home or at a bottleshop, and, because the cans had condensation, they all just fell out the bottom.”
The solution to that was to use a small amount of first-use board, which is still recyclable, but adds the structural integrity needed to keep the box intact.
Aside from its recyclability, the packaging also has a few other advantages. Because no tape or glue seal needs to be broken to open it, there’s no stray flap to deal with, and the box can easily be closed again.
Nick and the team entered the box in the packaging category at the recent AIBAs, pulling a bronze for the design (as well as gold medals for their Botany Bay Lager, XPA and Blueberry Sour). They also scored the highest points awarded out of all entrants for the “environment” section of the judging.
As for whether other breweries can use the design, Nick says that question has already been asked a few times.
“We tell them to go straight to Josh,” he says. “He helped us and he has the means to make it.
“But, if other breweries want to use it, that’s fine. We’re really proud of it, and the whole idea is to save the planet, after all.”
For other entries in our Going Green series, head here. If you run or know of a project suitable for our Going Green series, get in touch.
Marie Claire "MC" Jarratt hated writing essays in High School yet has since won the AIBA Best Media trophy for writing about beer, which she finds very funny. After completing her PhD in experimental physics, she entered the brewing industry and currently works as a brewer at Brick Lane. She can be found on Instagram and Facebook.
The beer(s) or moment(s) that turned you on to good beer:
I moved from the craft beer wasteland that is Sydney's Upper North Shore, where I grew up, to the Inner West and went on to visit every craft brewery there within a fortnight. I then did it again, but blogged about it the second time. The articles were so terrible I've since deleted them from my website.
You've got three beers to turn someone else on to good beer; what are they and why?
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Batch Chapeau or any other seasonal fruited sour: Sours are a good way to showcase that not all beer is bitter, but the addition of fruit adds a bit of sweetness that combats that sour. It's also a really good thirst-quencher for the hot, Aussie climate.
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Modus Operandi Former Tenant: On the other hand, there are people that love the bitterness in beer and this is a great one that starts to become a bit more complex, challenging and interesting than the usual fare. I recommend drinking this one at the brewery - the drive is worth it!
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Philter XPA: This is just a normal beer that tastes like normal stuff that people are used to - but it's made by your mate, not a big corporation. Plus, the can looks cool.
The last beer I enjoyed:
Garage Project Whittaker's Chocolate Beer: I brought it back in my suitcase after visiting my family in Wellington a few months ago and after a long, hot summer since, the weather was finally cold and rainy enough to enjoy it.
Three things that represent me:
- My Canon 700D and Fujifilm X100S
- The Bundeena to Otford Coast Track
- Dilution refrigerators
