Alpla partners with Glatfelter to develop sustainable packaging solutions
The Alpla Group, a global packaging solutions and recycling specialist, in cooperation with joint venture partner Glatfelter Corporation, a leading global supplier of engineered materials, announces their partnership with Blue Ocean Closures (BOC), a start-up based in the region of Värmland in Sweden, to develop natural fibre-based closures and other moulded packaging products using dry forming technology.
‘We are investing continuously in the research and use of alternative, bio-based packaging materials to complement our product portfolio,’ stated Christian Zmölnig, Director Corporate Research, Development and Innovation at Alpla. As part of this sustainable partnership, Alpla and Glatfelter are joining together to invest in the development of high-quality cellulose-based products like screw caps that are fully bio-based and potentially ocean biodegradable. This collaboration will support BOC in its product development and shorten time to market even further.
The partnership with Glatfelter and BOC is in line with Alpla’s strategic focus of increased investment in the circular economy. The four Rs – Replace, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle – are crucial in order to advance forward-looking activities and to identify areas of action. The Replace research field comprises research into and the use of alternative, bio-based and recyclable materials to expand and complement the product portfolio.
Reduce focuses on an ongoing reduction in material consumption, Reuse is all about optimising the properties of plastic bottles for reuse systems, and Recycle addresses the overarching objective of keeping as much plastic as possible in the recycling cycle.
Photo: Christian Zmölnig, Director Corporate Research, Development and Innovation at Alpla
