DENMARK – Dairy firm Arla Foods has joined forces with Blue Ocean Closures, a Swedish start-up specializing in sustainable closures, to develop a new cap made from biodegradable and recyclable fiber material.
Arla estimates that its standard caps make up for around 23% of the plastic used in its cartons. If implemented, the move could reduce Arla’s plastic consumption by more than 500 tonnes annually.
Blue Ocean Closures’ fiber-based caps constitute a body made of FSC-certified fiber material and a thin barrier coating.
Christian Zmölnig, director of corporate research, development and innovation of Alpla Group and part owner of Blue Ocean Closures said: “We are delighted to work with Arla, acting as a frontrunner to create a real difference in packaging sustainability.
“The solution will increase recyclability with increased fiber content, starting in Scandinavia and paving the way for global change.
“As part of Alpla’s important strategic development in the circular economy, we see great potential in this collaboration between Arla and Blue Ocean Closures.”
Created using advanced, proprietary vacuum press forming, it is reported that each cap is bio-based, biodegradable in the ocean, and recyclable in existing paper streams.
At the same time, it aims to contribute towards the company’s goal of eliminating fossil-based virgin plastic in its packaging range by 2030.
Peter Giørtz-Carlsen, Chief Commercial Officer at Arla Foods said: “Improving our packaging, including reducing our use of plastic, is imperative to us and we know that consumers are also very invested in this area.
“This project to explore what could very well be the first fiber-based cap on milk cartons is very exciting and shows that we at Arla are constantly looking to improve and lead the transformation of sustainable packaging.”
Arla has previously considered removing caps from its packaging portfolio to improve the environmental sustainability of its products.
However, when Arla tried to remove the lids of its organic range in Denmark in 2020, it faced consumer criticism as they were “unhappy with the loss of convenience,” according to the business.
“We know that consumers like the convenience a cap provides and while we have removed the cap completely from some of our ranges, we acknowledge this need and want to provide a choice for consumers,” underscores Giørtz-Carlsen.
“But if we have to have a cap, we want to create the best possible one and that is what we are doing now.”
Due to a novel vacuum press forming technique of Blue Ocean Closures, the cap can be made of a bio-based material that can degrade in the ocean or be recycled as paper. The material consists of FSC-certified fiber with a thin coating for protection.
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