It looks like it might be time to say bye-bye to plastic bottles. 

Coca Cola, Carlsberg, and L’Oréal are a few of the companies supporting the new “Paper Bottle Project.” The initiative aims at developing and implementing plant-based biodegradable bottles by 2023.

Three Dutch companies have joined forces to develop the eco-friendly plastics, called PEF,  using plant sugars. PEF will be used to line compostable cardboard bottles, effectively replacing the need for traditional plastics

“This plastic has very attractive sustainability credentials because it uses no fossil fuels, and can be recycled but would also degrade in nature much faster than normal plastics do,” says Tom Van Aken, CEO of the biochemicals company Avantium. 

Hundreds of tons of plastic are created each year using fossil fuels. This is a major contributor to the global climate crisis. Unfortunately, most plastic around the world is not recycled and some microplastics can take thousands of years to breakdown. 

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Initial trials using PEF show that the plant plastic would decompose completely in one year using a composter, and a few years longer if left outdoors under normal conditions. 

The project, which remains on track despite the coronavirus lockdown, is set to reveal partnerships with other food and drink companies later in the summer.