Frugalpac launches second-generation bottling machine

Published: 10 April, 2026

British paper bottle company Frugalpac has announced the release of the Frugal Bottle Assembly Machine 2 (FBAM-2), which significantly increases the speed of its bottle production.

The new machine can produce 14 million paper bottles a year – each with a carbon footprint up to 84% lower than if they were made of glass.

This output is over five times the 2.5 million that its predecessor (the FBAM-1) could manage.

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The new FBAM has also cut the cost of producing one of the company’s (plastic-lined) paper Frugal Bottles down by around 30%, making them the same price or cheaper than a glass bottle.

Commenting on the launch, J.P. Grogan, product director at Frugalpac, said: “The FBAM-2 is the industrial rollout the mass market has been waiting for.

“We have engineered it for maximum uptime and modular flexibility, allowing it to handle everything from spirits and wine to oils and ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails.

“The technology is ready; the era of heavy glass is over.”

Like the FBAM-1, the FBAM-2 is designed for installation in bottling plants and packaging facilities worldwide.

Some businesses, such as the Monterey Wine Company in the US, are using the machine to assemble bottles on site – moving production closer to filling lines and thus cutting costs, emissions and supply chain risks, according to Frugalpac.

The FBAM-2 is also adaptable and can be set up in different ways: a single-lane configuration which produces approximately 4.5 million bottles per year; the standard, three-lane configuration, which produces 14 million bottles a year; and the capacity to add additional lanes indefinitely, with no fixed upper limit.

Since its launch in 2020, Frugalpac has produced over 4 million bottles, which are stocked by retailers such as Sainsbury’s and Aldi.

The business claimed that “demand for lower-carbon packaging is accelerating, but production capacity has remained at a bottleneck”, which this machine has the capacity to change.

It added that a Shorr Packaging Survey in 2023 found that 73% of consumers would be willing to swich brands for more sustainable packaging.

Malcolm Waugh, CEO of Frugalpac, added: “For decades, glass has been the default for wine and spirits. But it’s heavy, energy-intensive and increasingly expensive to use and recycle.

“What’s changed is that packaging is no longer just a design choice, it’s a climate decision. Glass is no longer neutral.

“The opportunity is clear. The technology is ready. The future of packaging is lighter and of a lower cost and the industry now has the tools to get there.”

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