Rottneros becomes co-owner of Blue Ocean Closures in “ramp-up year” for fiber-based screw caps

08 Jan 2024 --- Rottneros, a global supplier of market pulp, has invested in Blue Ocean Closures and become a co-owner of the Swedish start-up, which develops proprietary fiber-based screw caps and other packaging materials. 

Lars Sandberg, CEO of Blue Ocean Closures, tells Packaging Insights that the investment from Rottneros is an important part of the company’s go-to-market strategy “both for advanced packaging concepts such as closures and for material sales to converters for more standard fiber products.” 

Sandberg says that Blue Ocean Closures sees a continued focus on reducing plastics and carbon footprint while maintaining or improving recyclability. “A relevant cost structure and high functionality will be basic demands, and we see opportunities in high volume products such as closures for beverages cartons, branded products and standard off the shelf products.” 

“We develop and produce bio-based closures that can be recycled as paper, enabling brands to reduce plastics in packaging and switch to more environmentally friendly solutions. Since November, we also offer converters to adopt our proprietary material and custom machines to set up production of other fiber-based packaging solutions,” he says.

Blue Ocean Closures now offers converters to adopt its proprietary material to set up production of other fiber-based packaging solutions.The terms of the investment are undisclosed. 

Functionality and recyclability 
When asked about how the company’s paper-based screw caps compared to similar market solutions, Sandberg explains that the Blue Ocean Closures screw caps are stiff, strong and precise. 

“The highly compressed cellulose gives excellent mechanical properties, and we have several strategies to interact with liquids while keeping recyclability as paper. This recyclability, compliance with all existing recycling systems and the highly available bio-based and biodegradable raw material gives a very low carbon footprint (six to nine times lower than plastic) and minimizes effects from littering, for example microplastics.” 

“We look forward to 2024 as a ramp-up year. We still have a lot of learning to do but we have been able to put together an excellent team and are supported by a great community that includes suppliers, our strategic owners and customers, including our pioneering partners with companies such as Coca-Cola and The Absolut Company of Pernod Ricard together with global leaders in cosmetics and dairy,” he asserts. 

Last year, Coca-Cola and Blue Ocean Closures began jointly testing the applicability of fiber-based closures. Together, the companies are evaluating several parameters of the material, functionality and production system of fiber-based closures.

By Natalie Schwertheim