United Caps expands carton closure portfolio to target flexible sourcing
Key takeaways
- United Caps is expanding its carton closure portfolio with solutions designed to run on existing tethered and non-tethered packaging lines without machine modifications.
- The 23 H-Pak is already established, while the new 27 H-Pak for aluminum and aluminum-free complexes has completed testing.
- The closures are intended to give buyers greater sourcing flexibility and supply security.
(Image credit: United Caps).United Caps is expanding its portfolio with carton packaging closures designed to run on existing tethered and non-tethered packaging lines without requiring machine modifications or setting adjustments.
United Caps’ portfolio currently centers on the established 23 H-Pak and is set to expand with 27 H-Pak (Alu & Alu-Free complexes). The two solutions can be applied to dairy, juice, stocks, soups, and selected non-liquid products.
According to the company, carton packaging is typically sourced as an “integrated system, from the complex through to the capping line.” The new solution aims to provide an alternative, enabling customers to assess the closure as a separate sourcing decision while retaining the existing complex and equipment.
Alan Quéméneur, chief growth officer at United Caps, says: “A closure is one component of the carton pack. Buyers should be able to evaluate and source it according to the same technical and commercial criteria as any other component, without changing the rest of the line. We are here to give buyers that choice.”
Supporting PPWR preparations
In its tethered configuration, the 23 H-Pak closure locks in the open position and remains clear of the pouring area, according to the company.
United Caps shares that the testing of 27 H-Pak (Alu & Alu-Free complexes) has been completed and validated, with market launch planned for the end of 2027. The solution aims to provide customers with more options when “defining future carton packaging specifications.”
“Treating the closure as an independently sourced component gives procurement teams another option. A qualified second source can reduce dependence on a single supplier while allowing the established complex and equipment to remain in place,” says the company.
United Caps highlights that the two closures can be manufactured utilizing mass-balanced bio-based resin or recycled material as part of customers’ preparations for the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation.
Previously, United Caps and Mimica partnered to debut a closure technology, Touchcap, for food waste reduction. The cap could work with a specialized gel that never comes into contact with the food product, yet changes the cap surface from smooth to bumpy as food deteriorates.
