Press release

The revolutionary technology developed by sustainability start-up Blue Ocean Closures to reduce plastics in packaging closures is now introduced to the market. The cellulose fiber cap on Great Earth products marks the epic start of commercialising the brand new category of advanced, recyclable as paper closures.

Sweden based Great Earth is a producer of nutritional supplements with a vision to contribute to a good and healthy world. The collaboration with Blue Ocean Closures is motivated by a strong desire to create a better world and actively work with sustainability.

In line with our vision, it is obvious for us at Great Earth to choose the most sustainable packaging solution. Fully implemented Blue Ocean Closures’ fiber screw cap reduces our plastic use by 2,6 tons per year and impacts carbon footprint. It is an important step on our journey towards increased circularity.

Patrik Falk, CEO, Great Earth Scandinavia AB

Completely new to the industry, the disruptive innovation presents an alternative to existing plastic screw cap solutions. The application for Great Earth, vitamin supplements supplied in rPET bottles with 38mm top diameter, has a great fit to Blue Ocean Closures technology. With 95% fiber content, in addition to reducing the amount of plastic, the closure contributes to a significant reduction in carbon footprint. At the same time it is increasing the shelf visibility and sending a clear signal to consumers. 

We are proud that we have taken this concept from idea to market introduction in just over two years. A great achievement that would not have been possible without our strong team and valuable partnerships. Owners, customers, suppliers, researchers and more forward-driving actors have all played a vital part of our journey.

Lars Sandberg, CEO, Blue Ocean Closures AB

A first mover in their segment, Great Earth is part of a community of pioneering partners, including The Absolut Group and Coca-Cola. The global brands are frontrunners in the development together with Blue Ocean Closures to bring fiber-based closures to market.

The first batch of products will be available at a specific location in June and introduced to several market channels during autumn.

An estimated 135 billion carton board packages with plastic caps are used for liquids and consumed globally every year. Now – Blue Ocean Closures is introducing an innovative and competitive alternative cap – recycable as paper.

The solution has been developed and adapted specifically for aseptically packaged products such as long life dairy, juices, plant based drinks and soups.

Our over-cap made of fiber-based material has a great fit to these products, since already the carton board is recyclable as paper, so should of course the cap be too. Even if the cap is a small part of the package, if you consider the sheer volumes, the solution we are offering can make a significant impact.

Ola Tönnberg, CCO, Blue Ocean Closures AB

The groundbreaking technology Blue Ocean Closures is developing, enables brand owners and fillers to further reduce environmental impact by using a solution with less plastic and lower carbon footprint in their packaging. The over-cap for aseptic liquid cartons is a drop-in solution, meaning it is easy to replace the current cap in producers’ existing systems. 

The solution is particularly fit for aseptic two step openings (type pull-ring) from different suppliers and adds yet another sustainability benefit to aseptic carton packages.

Moving forward we are eager to build relationships with potential partners, anticipating first volumes to reach the market early 2025.

Ola Tönnberg, CCO, Blue Ocean Closures AB

Rottneros AB, one of the world’s leading suppliers of first-class market pulp, is now investing in Blue Ocean Closures and becomes a co-owner of the Swedish start-up, developing proprietary fiber-based packaging materials.

Since just two years, Blue Ocean Closures AB has developed technology to produce fiber-based closures for consumer packaging at large scale, aiming to replace current plastic solutions on a global market. The innovative technology and material have potential for many more high volume use cases and making an impact in terms of reducing plastic pollution and its climate effects.

Blue Ocean Closures is leading the way in a very exciting new field with their vacuum press forming technology. At Rottneros we see this field as complementary to our work in wet moulding and exploring the opportunities within dry processes fits very well with our market strategy.

Lennart Eberleh, CEO, Rottneros AB

Blue Ocean Closures is working in partnership with industrial leaders and brandowners, who are committed to the development of more enivonmentally friendly solutions.

With Rottneros deep knowledge in pulp and packaging, we further strengthen our position and ability to reach market.

Lars Sandberg, CEO of Blue Ocean Closures

The company has during its two years of operation been focused on developing high quality, biobased and recyclable as paper screw caps. This investment and the partnership will expand the important development in more market segments. We are thrilled to
welcome Rottneros as our new co-owner

Lars Sandberg, CEO of Blue Ocean Closures

Blue Ocean Closures is a newcomer on the prestigious NyTeknik 33-list 2023 presented 16 th of November.

It is enormously inspiring that we have been selected for the 33-list and take place among Sweden’s most prominent start-ups says Lars Sandberg, CEO of Blue Ocean Closures

Our innovation journey has only just started, and we have already created technical solutions to meet global market needs for more environmentally friendly materials and products to replace plastic. This is a recognition for us as a company and for the potential of our new technology for large scale production of fiber-based closures

Lars Sandberg, CEO of Blue Ocean Closures

→ Read more on paperprovince.com (Swedish)

Today, Blue Ocean Closures is launching an offer to adopt its innovative technology for replacing plastics across a wide range of product categories. As part of their participation at The Greener Manufacturing Show & Plastic Waste Free World exhibition in Cologne on November 8-9 th, this start-up is introducing its revolutionizing fiber technology.

Blue Ocean Closures, with a mission to introduce fiber-based closures as a sustainable alternative to plastic closures such as caps and lids, is now extending its initiative to an even broader range of product categories.

As they participate and share insight at the Greener Manufacturing Show & Plastic Waste Free World conference in Cologne, Germany, Blue Ocean Closure’s CEO, Lars Sandberg, states,

We are dedicated to creating an impact in the field of replacing plastics and reducing climate effects. This is a way of maximizing that impact and increasing the pace of change into more environmentally friendly products. We are opening doors for other converters to adopt material suited for Blue Ocean Closures’ vacuum press forming technology, seamlessly integrated with our tailored machinery.

Lars Sandberg, CEO of Blue Ocean Closures

The proprietary material not only empowers precise and deep-forming technology but also enhances functionality. This material, developed in conjunction with Glatfelter Corporation, is optimized with the use of Quality Tools machinery and retains compatibility with a range of other forming concepts, thereby enhancing or complementing future dry forming approaches.

First material and machine offers are available in limited volumes starting in 2024.

Meet us at stand D122, Hall no 10.1 at Koelnmesse, Greener Manufacturing Show / Plastic Waste Free World 2023 to learn more about these product offerings.

Blue Ocean Closures, a start-up with a worldwide mission to reduce plastics in packaging closures, now announces partnership with Coca-Cola’s EMEA R&D Center in Brussels.

The innovation Blue Ocean Closures is bringing to market is a fiber-based packaging screw cap, that is biobased and recyclable as paper. “For us to succeed with this groundbreaking move, away from fossil-based plastics, it is extremely important to have global brands onboard, with the ambition and ability to truly making a difference, says Lars Sandberg, CEO of Blue Ocean Closures. And he continues; “We are thrilled to announce our explorative partnership with Coca Cola’s EMEA R&D Center today, focusing on innovation to bring new and more sustainable products to use.” In line with its ambitions to advance sustainable packaging while reducing the use of non-renewable material, and support its ambitious World Without Waste strategy, Coca-Cola is joining Blue Ocean Closures’ community of pioneering partners.

We are excited to be part of the pioneer community and to help test and develop this innovation during its continued development. It fits both our sustainability strategy and our on-going exploratory work with future packaging technologies which may complement other, existing types of packaging in our packaging mix,

Daphné Ronat, Packaging Engineer at the Coca-Cola EMEA R&D Center in Brussels, Belgium

Ever wondered why paper-based beverage cartons have plastic screw caps? So have we. Blue Ocean Closures in collaboration with dairy cooperative Arla is now presenting the first of a kind fibre-based, recyclable as paper, screw cap for beverage cartons.

Earlier this week, Arla Foods, one of the leading players in the international dairy arena announced their commitment to create a fibre-based screw cap in partnership with Blue Ocean Closures and ALPLA. The closures that are being developed are fitted to a low weight standard neck and are fully biobased, biodegradable and recyclable as paper.

We have reached a point where the technical and economic performance of fibre-based screw caps means that they can now establish themselves in the beverage carton market.

Lars Sandberg, CEO of Blue Ocean Closures

Around 100-150 Billion closures are used on beverage cartons every year making up a market of some 2,5 Billion USD. Consequently, a shift to fibre caps can have a big impact on plastic reduction. It is an obvious choice for consumers, preferring screw cap openings for convenience and food safety reasons and it will strengthen the liquid board packaging segment significantly. Blue Ocean Closures’ production concept allows for low cost, high volume production of caps and lids intended for plastic, glass and fibre-based packaging. A first production line is installed in Sweden and the company is now preparing for a rapid expansion.

I am delighted with our progress and convinced that social acceptance of our natural and sustainable closure solutions will continue to increase in the future.

Lars Sandberg, CEO of Blue Ocean Closures

Blue Ocean Closures announces breakthrough to further reduce plastic in packaging. In collaboration, Stora Enso, AISA and Blue Ocean Closures have developed the first ever paperboard tube with a fiber-based closure consisting of more than 85% fibers.

The new, innovative wood fiber-based concept helps brand owners to increase the share of renewable material in their packaging. All components of the tube are designed for recycling.

The fiber-based screw cap developed by Blue Ocean Closures is combined with a tube composed of Stora Enso’s barrier-coated board material Natura Shape™ and assembled by AISA. The solution contains more than 85% fiber content, the highest proportion available in a tube design. Intended for use in for example cosmetics, personal or home care, it is expected to be commercially available in 2024.

Lars Sandberg, CEO at Blue Ocean Closures comments on the development:

We know that brand owners face challenges when trying to find sustainable alternatives to plastic tubes and believe it is essential to increase fiber content to reach a higher degree of recyclability, reduce carbon footprint, and meet consumer expectations.

Lars Sandberg, CEO at Blue Ocean Closures

To help brand owners achieve their sustainability targets without compromising on functionalities and shelf presence, increased collaboration is required across the value chain. The technology development of the screw cap for the tube is accelerated through a design project part-funded by BioInnovation and involving also Karlstad University.

The tube solution has come far due to great research collaboration, which is exactly what is needed to achieve more sustainable packaging. Making a tube with shoulder and cap, work with unprecedented high fiber content is possible when all project partners contribute their knowledge and technology.

Project Manager and CTO at Blue Ocean Closures, Staffan Andersson

The achievement will be officially launched at Interpack 2023, the world’s largest fair for the packaging industry. Welcome to visit 4th – 10th of May in Düsseldorf, Germany.

Would it be possible to replace metal lids for consumer products such as jams and spreads with a lid made of biobased fibers? This is what disruptive start-up Blue Ocean Closures is now investigating together with neighbouring Swed-jam, a Swedish brand producing jams, marmalades, jellies, fruit drinks, smoothies, juices, fruit soups and compotes.

Swedish start-up Blue Ocean Closures is determined to reduce the climate effects of packaging. In a project funded by BioInnovation / Vinnova to research and develop substitutes using biobased materials, the company has partnered with Swed-jam, a food producer that makes jam, juice, drinks and smoothies, based in the same region and with RISE Research Institutes of Sweden.

In our development, it is important for us to work closely with companies in other parts of the value chain to explore and learn together how fiber-based closures could work in an industrial setting.

Isabel Malone, Project Manager, Blue Ocean Closures

For some product types, no alternatives to metal screw lids exist on the market today. The project is based on a clear hypothesis, backed by requests from global customers, that a concept for recyclable lids made of paper fibers would meet requirements and market needs of more sustainable solutions.

To replace metal with a biobased material, would mean a great impact in terms of decreased climate effects, potentially more than 500 000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalents per year.

The technology development in this project is really exciting, says Birgitta Björk, CEO of Swed-jam. It will be interesting to see what benefits can be achieved from an environmental, cost and market perspective.

BioInnovation Program Manager Per Edström comments;

BioInnovation funds projects that pave the way for a circular bioeconomy, and this project is well qualified by addressing a clear market need for biobased replacements of metal lids with a potential to global market scale-up.

Blue Ocean Closures is the Swedish start-up developing proprietary fiber-based screw caps who is now the 102nd member of the 4evergreen alliance. Together the members represent the entire life cycle for fiber-based packaging, working to develop tools and guidelines for an even more sustainable sector.

Community Manager, Ulrika Ganterud Evermark at Blue Ocean Closures sees the bigger picture;

As a small start-up we need to build on and be part of the community of people, businesses and other organisations in society striving to make a real difference in sustainability. With our innovative closures we can contribute to reducing plastics in packaging and reducing climate effects. Joining 4evergreen is a great opportunity to be part of a cross-industry alliance focusing on sustainability and circularity.

As a cross-industry alliance, 4evergreen fosters synergies among companies promoting low-carbon and circular fibre-based packaging. The goal is to raise the overall recycling rate of fibre-based packaging to 90 % by 2030.

Recyclability is key for Blue Ocean Closures and Caroline Locre, Project Manager, affirms;

We are convinced that fibre-based packaging is the future and look forward to contributing to the alliance and reaching global, practical solutions that make sense for the whole value chain, the customers, and our planet.

From leading brand owners, to packaging producers, designers, recyclers, and researchers, our members at 4evergreen represents the whole fibre-based packaging industry. This is the unique added value of our alliance – says Susanne Haase, Program Director of the 4evergreen alliance. We are extremely pleased to welcome a start-up like Blue Ocean Closures, with its disruptive and innovative ideas. Together, we will make huge steps towards perfecting the circularity of fibre-based packaging.