This can reduce company’s plastic consumption by more than 500 tonnes annually if implemented
The leading dairy cooperative, Arla Foods is teaming up with Swedish start-up Blue Ocean Closures in a formal partnership to create a fibre-based cap for its milk cartons. This could be a first in the dairy industry.
Making up for around 23 per cent of the plastic used in Arla’s cartons, dairy cooperative has now set its sights on the caps as part of its sustainable packaging strategy to eliminate use of fossil-based virgin plastic in its packaging by 2030.
“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 fibre-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”, says Chief Commercial Officer at Arla Foods Peter Giørtz-Carlsen.
Blue Ocean Closures is a world leader in fibre-based closures and have already achieved landmarks in sustainable packaging. The cap has a body made of sustainably sourced FSC fibre material combined with a thin barrier coating. Using advanced, proprietary vacuum press forming, allows for a cap that is biobased, ocean biodegradable, and recyclable as paper.
With funding from Arla Foods, the plan is now to develop a fully functional prototype and complete the testing phase by the start of next year.