Dairy cooperative Arla Foods has joined forces with Blue Ocean Closures, a Swedish start-up specializing in sustainable closures, to develop a new cap made from biodegradable and recyclable fiber material. The closure will potentially reduce Arla’s plastic consumption by 500 metric tons annually.

Caps make up around 23% of plastic packaging used in Arla’s cartons, with the company now focusing on reducing the closure’s environmental impact to reach its commitment to eliminate fossil-based virgin plastic in 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 fiber-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 Peter Giørtz-Carlsen, chief commercial officer at Arla Foods.

Blue Ocean will use funding from Arla Foods to develop a fully functional cap prototype and complete testing in early 2024.

Currently, Arla Foods uses milk cartons in multiple markets, including Denmark, Sweden and Netherlands.

Removing the cap a no go
Arla has previously considered removing caps from its packaging portfolio to improve the environmental sustainability of its products.

However, when Arla tried to remove the lids of its organic range in Denmark in 2020, it faced consumer criticism as they were “unhappy with the loss of convenience,” according to the business.

“We know that consumers like the convenience a cap provides and while we have removed the cap completely from some of our ranges, we acknowledge this need and want to provide a choice for consumers. But if we have to have a cap, we want to create the best possible one and that is what we are doing now,” underscores Giørtz-Carlsen.

The new cap
Due to a novel vacuum press forming technique of Blue Ocean Closures, the cap can be made of a bio-based material that can degrade in the ocean or be recycled as paper. The material consists of FSC-certified fiber with a thin coating for protection.

 “We are delighted to work with Arla, acting as a frontrunner to create a real difference in packaging sustainability. The solution will increase recyclability with increased fiber content, starting in Scandinavia and paving the way for global change”.

“As part of Alpla’s important strategic development in the circular economy, we see great potential in this collaboration between Arla and Blue Ocean Closures,” adds Christian Zmölnig, director of corporate research, development and innovation of Alpla Group and part owner of Blue Ocean Closures.

In a similar initiative, Blue Ocean Closures, Swed-jam and the Research Institutes of Sweden partnered in a research project to replac metal lids with fiber-based alternatives. Blue Ocean Closures said that some product types have no other material options to metal screw lids.