Packaging / Advertising & Office

A few days ago, Hewlett-Packard announced the acquisition of Choose Packaging, the inventor of the commercially available zero-plastic paper bottle. Designed to provide an alternative to plastic bottles, Choose's patented technology can reportedly hold a variety of liquid products, and its paper bottles are made from natural, non-toxic materials. "This acquisition is a great example of how HP will continue to strengthen our capabilities in attractive verticals such as sustainable packaging, while at the same time as Drive HP’s broader sustainability goals. Choose builds technology that truly makes a difference, and we’re excited to welcome this talented team to the HP family.”

With this acquisition, HP hopes to further its goal of disrupting the $10 billion fiber-based packaging market. HP's first step in the industry is to introduce a 3D printing-enabled molded fiber tooling solution designed to bring customizable fiber-based products to market faster and more cost-effectively. By integrating Choose into its personalization and 3D printing businesses, HP will seek to focus on expanding its technology and customer footprint to expand the addressable market.

"As a plastic-free packaging development company, we have successfully created a technology that can provide a viable alternative to plastic bottles to help eliminate single-use PET packaging," says James Runk, Founder and Managing Director of Choose Packaging "HP's world-class capabilities and expertise help expand our global reach," said Loft. "We are excited to join the HP team in our business, technology, sustainability and values-driven approach. It would be more appropriate to have a common goal in terms of culture.”

Choose's existing client base includes Accolade Wines, Henkel and Malibu Rum. Accolade Wines is one of the world's largest wine companies with more than 50 brands including Hardys, Banrock Station and Grant Burge in more than 130 countries; Henkel is one of the world's largest consumer and industrial products companies One; Malibu Rum is one of the strategic international brands in Pernod Ricard's global product portfolio.

Meanwhile, Finnish pulp and paper products manufacturer Stora Enso announced an €8 million investment to increase its manufacturing capacity for forming fibers in Europe. The company will install new machines in Hyltte, Sweden, which will double its production capacity to meet the growing demand for shaped fibers. In addition to the investment, Stora Enso will hire more than 10 new employees to serve the formed fiber manufacturing sector in Sweden.

The company said the investment will further strengthen its position as a supplier of renewable materials and make it one of the leading suppliers of shaping fibers. Upon completion of the investment, the annual formed fiber capacity of the Hylte plant will increase from 50 million to approximately 115 million products.

Stora Enso Senior Vice President and Head of Shaped Fibers said: "There is a high demand in the market for environmentally friendly and recyclable packaging solutions to replace plastics and other fossil materials. Our shaped fiber products can help brands The owner meets its sustainability goals while responding to consumer demand for cleanliness. Through our increased investment and capacity, we will further enhance our position in this growth market.”

Molding fibers are renewable, recyclable and biodegradable materials that can be used to replace plastics in a variety of applications. Stora Enso has been offering fibre products currently used in food packaging such as bowls, trays and lids. This technology has also been used in the development of fiber bottles. Shaped fibers are renewable, recyclable and biodegradable and can replace plastics in a wide range of applications. Stora Enso's PureFiber™ is a range of shaped fibre products that are free of perfluoroalkyl substances and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and reduce CO2 emissions by 75% compared to alternative packaging materials such as plastic or bagasse %.

Formed fiber products are made from various chemical pulps and chemical thermomechanical pulps (CTMP) by pressing them into the desired shape in a forming machine. The raw material is pulp made from sustainably sourced wood in Sweden and Finland. Stora Enso will produce the raw material at plants in Sweden and Finland and process it at the Hylte plant.

Stora Enso aims to provide 100% renewable products and solutions by 2050. The group has also pledged to achieve new targets for its key sustainable development priorities by 2030: climate change, biodiversity and circularity, and its new climate targets are aligned with the Paris Agreement and science-based targets. The company aims to provide 100% recycled products and solutions by 2050. In December, Stora Enso announced a €23 million investment to increase the flexibility and capacity of Finland's Varkaus Contentramboard mill.

Prior to this, Stora Enso had started supplying Pulpex with the materials needed for the mass production of test paper bottles. Pulpex is a joint venture between Diageo (which owns brands including Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff and Guinness) and Pilot Lite (a risk management company). Diageo is announcing the launch of paper bottles for its Johnnie Walker brand in 2021. With this in mind, the two companies are focusing on developing a high-speed production line that is expected to be operational in 2022.

Using Stora Enso's formed fiber materials, Pulpex will produce paper bottles for a variety of global brands, including home care and personal care products, liquid foods, and alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Compared to glass or PET, this fiber-based bottle and container can significantly reduce the carbon footprint of packaging. Customizable Pulpex bottles allow for embossing, coloring and labeling to suit brand needs. In addition to Diageo, Unilever, PepsiCo, GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare and Castrol also joined Pulpex. Each company is committed to using Pulpex technology for its brands, with the goal of producing 750 million carton bottles per year.