GSK Consumer Healthcare Joins Pulpex Paper Bottle Consortium

- GSK Consumer Healthcare is exploring paper bottling for its Wellness and Oral Health brands including Centrum, Sensodyne and parodontax

- Pulpex paper bottles are recyclable and 100% PET-free

- Consortium members Diageo, Unilever and PepsiCo are each developing Pulpex packaging for specific brands

LONDON, March 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Pulpex Limited is pleased to announce that GSK Consumer Healthcare (GSKCH), one of the world's leading over-the-counter healthcare companies, has joined the Pulpex partner consortium to explore incorporating paper bottles into its overall packaging program.

Pulpex Limited (www.pulpex.com) is a new world-leading sustainable packaging technology company established by venture management firm Pilot Lite and spirits producer Diageo. The company has developed a first-of-its-kind scalable paper bottle that is 100% PET-free. Made from sustainably sourced pulp, the Pulpex bottle meets food safety standards and will be recyclable in standard paper waste streams, which have a far higher yield than plastic waste streams.

Mike Anstey, Co-Founder and CEO, Pilot Lite, said: "We're proud to have an innovative company like GSK Consumer Healthcare with its portfolio of science-based brands as a member of the Pulpex consortium. GSK Consumer Healthcare is not only a world leader in the consumer healthcare market, they are now providing the type of brand leadership needed to minimize the environmental footprint of packaging."

Pulpex formed a partner consortium of world-leading fast-moving consumer goods companies to ensure that the packaging technology is widely adopted and used in every area of life. In addition to GSKCH, the consortium includes Diageo, Unilever and PepsiCo, with other partners expected to join later this year. The customizable Pulpex technology allows partner companies to produce different shapes and sizes of single-mould bottles to fit the needs of their brands.

GSKCH is exploring the design and pilot of Pulpex bottles for products from three brands within its portfolio: Centrum, Sensodyne and parodontax. Centrum is the world's number one multivitamin brand. Sensodyne is the world's number one, most dentist-recommended sensitivity toothpaste, with a product range that includes mouthwashes and toothbrushes. parodontax is the number one gum care brand in Europe, helping to stop bleeding gums since 1937.

Sarah McDonald, VP of Sustainability, GSK Consumer Healthcare, said: "We are determined to explore alternative packaging materials where we can, while ensuring the quality, safety and efficacy of our products. We hope that by commercialising this technology for our industry, others will be able to follow."

Last year, GSK announced ambitious new environmental sustainability goals in both climate and nature. Pulpex is proud to be a part of GSKCH's commitment to ambitious targets for all consumer product packaging to be recyclable or reusable, including eliminating all problematic and unnecessary plastics, where quality and safety permits, by 2025.

About Pulpex
Pulpex is a collaboration between Pilot Lite and Diageo. Pilot Lite is a pioneer and international leader in venture management with a successful track record helping Fortune 500/FTSE 100 corporates accelerate the commercialization of innovation. Through its Pilot Lite Capital arm, Pilot Lite directly invests in and converts corporate IP into free-standing, revenue-generating businesses. Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands sold in more than 180 countries around the world.  The company is listed on both the London Stock Exchange (DGE) and the New York Stock Exchange (DEO). For further information please visit pulpex.com.

About GSK Consumer Healthcare
Our world-leading Consumer Healthcare business combines science and consumer insights to create innovative everyday healthcare brands that consumers trust and experts recommend for oral health, pain relief, cold, flu and allergy, digestive health and vitamins, minerals and supplements.

We are one of the world's leading over-the-counter (OTC) healthcare companies with number one positions in a number of markets, including the US, India and Germany. Our portfolio of loved and trusted brands includes Centrum, Sensodyne, paradontax, Polident, Advil, Voltaren, Panadol, Otrivin and Theraflu.

About GSK  
GSK is a science-led global healthcare company with a special purpose: to help people do more, feel better, live longer. For further information please visit gsk.com.

For more information about our GSK's Sustainability goals, please visit: https://www.gsk.com/en-gb/responsibility/environment-our-new-approach

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