Alpla and BillerudKorsnäs unite for sustainable bottle project

Alpla has joined forces with Swedish packaging materials provider BillerudKorsnäs to create a new joint venture and develop a sustainable paper bottle.

The companies will form a joint venture in the Danish paper bottle company Ecoxpac. BillerudKorsnäs is currently the majority owner and has been a shareholder in the firm since 2015. Once the transaction has been completed, both Alpla and BillerudKorsnäs will own equal parts.

By combining their resources, Alpla and BillerudKorsnäs aim to support Ecoxpac in the commercialisation of a fully bio-based and recyclable paper bottle, driving packaging innovation in a sustainable direction.

In 2016, Carlsberg revealed a first physical prototype of a paper bottle, the Green Fiber Bottle, created in collaboration with Ecoxpac.

Günther Lehner, Alpla CEO, said: “With BillerudKorsnäs we have found an ambitious partner creating a new packaging market segment that offers a complementary consumer experience to our current rigid packaging solutions. Alpla is sharing the passion for technical challenges and innovation.

“I want to emphasise the long-term vision of the joint venture to introduce fully bio-based paper bottles. Alpla is contributing capital as well as technical know-how to the joint venture to accelerate the development and market introduction of the paper bottle.”

BillerudKorsnäs CEO Petra Einarsson said: “I believe that with our shared and honest ambition to break new ground, Alpla and BillerudKorsnäs now make an important commitment to contribute to a more sustainable future.

“The question is not ‘if’ but rather ‘how soon’ this joint venture will introduce a fully bio-based and recyclable paper bottle to the market. And when we do, it will enable a significant shift in consumer behaviour globally.”

Martin Grosen Petersen, CEO of Ecoxpac, added: “Ecoxpac was founded with a strong vision for the future. Today we are privileged to have the best players in their fields sharing our vision. It makes me proud of what we have achieved so far. The vision has never felt closer to reality than today.”