Great Earth shifts entire product range to paper closures after trial

Great Earth, a Swedish supplement company, has switched all its portfolio to paper closures following a pilot launch with Blue Ocean Closures. 

Great Earth says the pilot was a “proven success” after evaluating market response and product compatibility. A consumer survey found that the paper cup was 90% more user-friendly, and all of the respondents viewed it as more environmentally sustainable.

Patrik Falk, CEO at Great Earth, says: “We are moving beyond the plastic cap. We are now transitioning our entire product range to fiber-based closures. We’re not just talking about the future of packaging, we are delivering it now.”

In 2024, Great Earth adopted Blue Ocean Closures’ paper-based lid for its magnesium supplement to increase recyclability. 

Falk continues: “The collaboration with Blue Ocean Closures was a fantastic opportunity. For us, this transition is about two things: driving sustainability forward and meeting the consumer of the future.” 

“The positive response from consumers and retailers shows us exactly where the future is heading, making this a business-critical decision to ensure our relevance for years to come.”

Great Earth’s consumer survey also found that 90% of respondents prefer the paper cup and would repurchase it. 

Lars Sandberg, CEO at Blue Ocean Closures, comments: “We know that consumer demand for more sustainable packaging is growing, and the motivation to move away from plastics is strong. Businesses that are ahead of this development, like Great Earth, will be the long-term winners”.

Adopting fiber-based solutions

Packaging Insights recently spoke to Great Earth and Blue Ocean Closures about the landscape of sustainable caps and closures. 

Falk highlighted three converging trends in the caps and closures industry: heightened consumer expectations for sustainable products, regulatory frameworks like the EU’s Single-Use Plastics Directive, and integration of ESG metrics into corporate performance indicators.

Ulrika Evermark, chief communication and relations officer at Blue Ocean Closures, added that brands view fiber-based closures as a way to “future-proof” packaging portfolios.

She explained that Blue Ocean Closure technology is easy to scale, adding that this is an essential quality as, to compete with plastics, sustainable caps and closures must meet the high volume demand at a cost-competitive level.

In June, the vodka brand, Absolut, partnered with Blue Ocean Closures to unveil a paper-based bottle and cap duo as part of its progress toward fully bio-based packaging.