A new joint venture between Alpla and BillerudKorsnäs aims to develop a fully bio-based, recyclable paper bottle. The two partners are taking over the Danish company „ecoXpac“ for this purpose.
The company has been working with ecoXpac in co-operation with BillerudKorsnäs and the Carlsberg Group in the development of paper bottles. The BillerudKorsnäs Group, which specialises in paper packaging materials and solutions, has owned the majority of the company since 2015. Now the plastic packaging specialist Alpla will receive the same number of shares as the previous majority owner. The ecoXpac founding family will retain a minority stake. It is planned that the transaction will be completed by the third quarter of this year.
Prototypes are to be brought to market maturity
The new joint venture is now to realise the existing prototypes of Paper bottles to market maturity and expand the business. At the end of 2016, the Carlsberg Group presented the first prototype of a paper bottle, the „Green Fibre Bottle“. Since then, the first generation of paper bottles has been in a test phase. According to the ideas of those involved, the following generations of paper bottles will be produced using completely bio-based and biodegradable barriers be equipped.
„ecoXpac was founded with a strong vision for the future. It is a privilege that the best players in the field now share our vision. I am proud of everything we have achieved so far.“
Martin Grosen Petersen, CEO of ecoXpac.
Ambitious partners predict change in consumer behaviour
Günther Lehner, CEO of Alpla, comments on the strategic decision to invest in the Joint venture „In BillerudKorsnäs, we have found an ambitious partner with whom we are creating a new segment in the packaging market that offers a new consumer experience compared to our current rigid packaging. Alpla brings both capital and technical expertise to the joint venture to accelerate the development and market introduction of the paper bottle.“
Petra Einarsson, CEO and President of BillerudKorsnäs, is convinced of the success of the collaboration: „The question is not if, but when the joint venture will bring a fully bio-based and recyclable paper bottle onto the market. As soon as the project is successful, this will enable a fundamental change in consumer behaviour.“
