Paboco and Blue Ocean Closures have joined forces to unveil the industry's first market-ready paper bottle paired with a fiber-based cap. This innovative solution is now available and is expected to reach consumers by early 2025. This partnership marks a significant milestone in sustainable packaging, combining years of expertise and innovation to bring eco-friendly alternatives to traditional plastic packaging.

Paboco has been at the forefront of developing paper bottle packaging solutions, and with this new launch, the company introduces a groundbreaking product line featuring the first-ever combination of paper bottles and fiber-based caps. Staying true to its mission of “repacking the planet,” Paboco aims to create impactful, sustainable changes in packaging, emphasizing the importance of lightweight and eco-friendly materials.

The collaboration with Blue Ocean Closures further strengthens this initiative. Blue Ocean Closures has developed a standard closure for solids and pills, which is now ready for market application. Together, the companies have produced a package that weighs less than 16 grams in total. The HDPE barrier within the package is minimal, weighing under 2 grams, and ensuring that the entire package remains recyclable as paper packaging. This approach aligns with Paboco’s philosophy of utilizing minimal materials while maximizing functionality and sustainability.

Michael Michelsen, Commercial Director at Paboco, expressed his enthusiasm: “This innovation marks an immediate and transformative change in the packaging industry. By offering an alternative material solution, we are revolutionizing packaging options while maintaining a focus on lightweight designs. Production has already begun, and we anticipate these bottles reaching consumers by early 2025. I am thrilled that we can present this as a tangible, market-ready solution rather than just a conceptual idea.”

Ola Tönnberg, Chief Commercial Officer at Blue Ocean Closures, commented: “The fiber-based closure represents a new standard applicable across various bottle materials. This collaboration with Paboco allows us to further reduce plastic use by integrating these closures into fiber bottles. We are excited about this opportunity to expand our product's sustainability scope.”

This development is a continuation of Paboco’s mission to scale up the production of paper bottles by 2025, with the aim of integrating bio-based solutions in the future. The company plans to leverage the technical insights gained from the development of this bottle-cap combination within its Pioneer Community. This community consists of pioneering brands that support the advancement of paper bottles and are instrumental in the continued research and development of sustainable packaging solutions for various product categories.

One of these companies is The Absolut Group, which is collaborating with both Paboco and Blue Ocean Closures. Elin Furelid, Director Future of Packaging at The Absolut Group, stated: “We are proud to be part of the Paboco and Blue Ocean Closures Pioneer Communities. This launch is an important step forward in sustainable packaging, and we look forward to learning from this milestone as we advance our cross-industry efforts and broaden our sustainable packaging materials portfolio.”

The paper bottle and fiber-based cap will be available to select partners and will be showcased at the CPHI event in Milan on October 8th, as well as at Scanpack in Gothenburg from October 22nd to 25th. These events will provide an opportunity for industry leaders and brands to experience this new sustainable packaging solution firsthand.