Sweden has become a global testbed for sustainable packaging innovation, driven by a national commitment to circular economy principles and a forest industry that values material efficiency over volume growth. The Swedish packaging market is growing modestly at 1.3% per annum, mirroring a wider European trend: competitiveness is no longer measured in tonnes produced but in the degree of transformation, where material substitution, eco-design and functional innovation are now the main drivers of success.
Swedish packaging manufacturers are characterized by their willingness to challenge established paradigms. From disruptive fiber-forming technologies that remove water from the production process to the world’s lightest kraftliner and fiber-based screw caps replacing fossil plastics, these companies are not just incrementally improving existing products but fundamentally reimagining what packaging can be. The following five manufacturers are the best examples of this ethos and all prove that sustainability and commercial viability can be mutually reinforcing.
Top 5 Swedish Packaging Manufacturers Focused on Sustainability
- PulPac AB
- Billerud AB
- Rottneros Packaging AB
- Holmen Board and Paper
- Blue Ocean Closures AB
A Closer Look at the Top 5 Swedish Packaging Manufacturers Focused on Sustainability
1. PulPac AB
PulPac, headquartered in Gothenburg, has developed Dry Molded Fiber technology, a patented fiber-forming process that converts renewable cellulose fibers into rigid packaging with significantly lower environmental impact than traditional packaging techniques. That means the PulPac process can make things faster and with far fewer resources than traditional wet molding, which uses a lot of water and energy. The firm operates a licensing-based business model, making its technology accessible to manufacturers worldwide.
Key Points
- Technology differentiator: Dry Molded Fiber uses a fraction of the water and energy of traditional wet molding and can be produced at speeds competitive with plastic manufacturing.
- Target applications: Food service (coffee cup lids, plates, cutlery), retail (bottles, fashion hangers) and pharmaceutical packaging.
- Licensing ecosystem: Establishes partnerships with industry players like Future Materials Sweden, leveraging fiber technology know-how with plastic injection molding capabilities to offer hybrid solutions.
- Scale ambition: €20 million loan from the European Investment Bank in July 2025 to accelerate R&D and global growth of its licensing platform.
Achievements
- Secured a €20 million venture debt loan from the EIB under the InvestEU program, recognizing dry molded fiber as “a core part of the shift towards sustainable packaging.”
- In July 2025 we joined forces with SIG to develop paper-based closures for aseptic cartons in support of SIG’s ambition to achieve 90% paper content by 2030.
- “The technology is “an innovative and scalable solution that can make a real difference in the global effort to reduce plastic waste,” said EIB Vice-President Thomas Östros.
Feedback
Industry observers say PulPac’s licensing model allows it to scale quickly, without the capital intensity of traditional manufacturing expansion. The company’s ability to secure EIB financing and partnerships with established packaging players has proven its technology and commercial approach. The challenge is to get brand owners to move from decades-old plastic supply chains to new fiber-based alternatives, a transition PulPac is solving for by proving cost competitiveness and performance parity.
Contact Information
Website: https://www.pulpac.com
2. Billerud AB
Billerud is a world-leading company in high-performance paper and packaging materials with a history of over 150 years in the forestry and paper industry . The company supplies renewable and recyclable products made from fibre from responsibly managed forests to over 100 countries. Billerud has nine production units in Sweden, Finland and the US and produces materials that are converted into milk cartons, fruit boxes, beauty packaging, carrierbags, cement sacks and labels .
Key Points
- History-making innovation: In the 1950s we invented the world’s first liquid packaging board for beverages, a tradition of leadership in material science.
- Product innovations ConFlex® HeatSeal provides a fibre-based alternative to plastic wrapping for interior, hygiene and industrial applications Performance Barrier replaces plastic film in industrial sacks.
- Climate targets: 2030 targets approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) in 2024, along with long term net zero targets for 2050.
- Size: SEK 40.5 billion in net sales, 3.5 million tonnes in sales volume, Nasdaq Stockholm Large Cap index.
Achievements
- The first company in its sector to have near-term and net-zero targets approved by the SBTi, demonstrating a credible commitment to climate action.
- Purpose statement explicitly commits to “making high performance packaging materials for a low carbon society.”
- Makes materials that millions of people use every day in food, industrial and consumer products.
Feedback
Billerud’s scale and historical position give it influence that smaller innovators cannot match—when Billerud transitions a product line to fibre-based alternatives, the impact is measured in millions of tonnes rather than thousands. However, as an established industry player, the company must balance transformation with legacy operations, a tension that pure-play innovators like PulPac do not face. Its SBTi-approved targets provide externally validated accountability.
Contact Information
Website: https://www.billerud.com
3. Rottneros Packaging AB
Rottneros Packaging in Sunne, Sweden, has been a pioneer in the field of molded fiber for more than 20 years. They have developed their own technology and processes for fiber-based packaging. Rottneros® Nature is the company’s product range, offering high performance, food safety and minimal environmental impact. Rottneros is in contrast to many other players that still are in the pilot phase, scaling production through an advanced manufacturing plant with an estimated capacity of 80 million high-performance fiber trays per year.
Key Points
- Proprietary technology: Develops its own molded fiber technology, with a priority focus on high-barrier packaging extending shelf life for food applications.
- Scale up in progress: Together with Arctic Paper, building a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Poland to scale sustainable packaging solutions for industrial needs.
- Customization capability Standard range trays for quick plastic-to-fiber transition (short lead times, ready within months) and custom packaging from sketch to finished product.
- Certifications: Nature by Rottneros food trays are made from FSC®-certified pulp and certified for food contact. Made using fossil-free energy from renewable resources with closed-loop water systems.
Achievements
- Over 20 years of molded fiber innovation leadership.
- Europe’s largest dedicated fiber tray production investment in a new Polish facility.
- “Pioneers in molded fiber-based packaging, setting a new standard,” the company says.
Feedback
Rottneros has a winning hand: proven technology, a dedicated team of experts and the industrial strength to scale. The new Polish plant—developed with Arctic Paper—is a signal of confidence that fiber-based packaging can compete with plastic on cost and performance at industrial volumes. The company’s dual offering (standard range for rapid switches, custom development for brand differentiation) meets both the need for urgent sustainability deadlines and the long-term brand strategy.
Contact Information
Website: https://www.rottneros.com/rottneros-packaging/
4. Holmen Board and Paper
Swedish forestry and paper products company Holmen has launched the lightest kraftliner on the market, Holmen Elevate. It comes in 72, 82 and 92 grams per square meter. This light kraft liner is specifically designed for e-commerce, shelf-ready and food packaging applications where sustainability and performance are key. It is manufactured at the Braviken Paper Mill in Sweden and has one of the lowest carbon footprints in the industry, with CO₂ emissions 80% below the European average for board and paper production.
Key Points
- Lightest kraftliner available in 72, 82 and 92 gsm—reduces material consumption without sacrificing strength.
- Carbon leadership: 80% lower CO₂ emissions than the European industry average – a verified quantitative sustainability claim.
- Integrated supply chain: Made of fresh fibers from sustainably managed forests, the mill uses pulpwood and wood chips from Holmen’s sawmill on the same site.
- Applications: E-commerce packaging, shelf-ready displays and food packaging requiring both sustainability and performance.
Achievements
- “Low weight with high strength properties and industry-leading sustainability performance,” says CEO Lars Lundin of Holmen Elevate.
- Allows packaging producers to reduce material use and emissions without compromising on quality.
- It is an ‘important step in our strategy to grow within the containerboard market,’ says Business Development Director Tommy Wiksand.
Feedback
The value proposition of Holmen Elevate is elegantly simple: less material, same performance, dramatically lower carbon. This 80% emissions reduction claim offers customers measurable environmental credentials for their own sustainability reporting, benchmarking against the European industry average. Holmen Elevate is a drop-in solution that does not require any changes to the production line but can deliver verified impact reductions. It is ideal for e-commerce and food brands that are under pressure to reduce their packaging footprint.
Contact Informmation
Website: https://www.holmen.com
5. Blue Ocean Closures AB
Blue Ocean Closures is a Swedish sustainability start-up that is revolutionizing the packaging industry by designing and producing fiber-based screw caps and lids. The company is the first to market in this specific category, addressing the world’s plastic pollution crisis by creating high-quality bio-based products that are highly biodegradable, recyclable and scalable. ALPLA, Glatfelter, Nissha, Rottneros and Elopak are industry leaders backing Blue Ocean Closures to help brands reduce their carbon footprint at the closure level—an often overlooked component in sustainable packaging transitions.
Key Points
- Fiber-based closures: Patented technology to make screw caps and lids from renewable fiber to replace conventional plastic closures.
- Industry backing: Supported by a consortium of paper manufacturers and global packaging leader ALPLA, bringing both capital and market validation.
- Market proof: The first adopter in 2024 was Great Earth of Scandinavia, which put fiber-based closures on its magnesium supplement. After a successful pilot, Great Earth committed to switching its entire product range to paper caps.
- Consumer validation: Post-pilot surveys showed 90% found the paper cap more Consumer validation: In post-pilot surveys, 90% said the paper cap was more user-friendly, 100% said it was more environmentally friendly and 90% said they preferred the paper cap and would buy it again.
Achievements
- The first screw caps made from fiber, a category that, until now, has been dominated by plastic.
- Supported by The Absolut Group as part of the Pioneering Community for sustainable packaging development.
- “The full transition by Great Earth is a strong and good step,” noted Eric Näf, head of packaging development at The Absolut Group.
Feedback
Closures are a perennial problem in sustainable packaging because while bottles and cartons may switch to fiber, the cap often remains plastic. Blue Ocean Closures is tackling that last frontier. The company’s partnerships with global brands (L’Oréal Groupe, The Absolut Group) and packaging manufacturers (ALPLA, Rottneros) suggest that the technology is being validated not only through environmental logic but also through industrial economics. Great Earth’s full-range adoption is being driven by consumer preference data and fiber-based closures may soon be a competitive necessity and not a niche differentiator.
Contact Information
Website: https://www.blueoceanclosures.com/
FAQ
What distinguishes Swedish sustainable packaging from other European markets?
The Swedish packaging industry focuses on innovation and material efficiency, not on volume increase. “The market grew only 1.3% a year between 2018 and 2023, but Swedish companies are leaders in fiber-based alternatives, lightweighting and circular materials. This is part of a bigger Nordic model where sustainability is “no longer a side condition but the driving force of innovation and differentiation.”
Which technology has the most disruptive potential for replacing single-use plastics?
PulPac’s Dry Molded Fiber technology is considered one of the most disruptive, dramatically reducing water and energy consumption compared to traditional wet molding while maintaining production speeds comparable to plastic manufacturing. The €20 million EIB loan and collaborations with SIG and Future Materials Sweden confirm its industrial potential.
Are fiber-based closures commercially proven?
Yes. Great Earth of Scandinavia has successfully trialed fiber-based screw caps from Blue Ocean Closures. Surveys of consumers after the pilot showed that 90% preferred the paper cap to the plastic cap, 100% saw it as more environmentally friendly and 90% would buy it again. Great Earth has now committed to changing their whole supplement line to paper caps.
What is the lightest sustainable packaging material available from Swedish manufacturers?
Holmen Elevate kraftliner is available in the market’s lightest kraftliner at 72 gsm but still with high strength properties suitable for e-commerce and food packaging. Its % of CO₂ emissions is 80% below the European average for the production of board and paper.
How can packaging producers transition from plastic to fiber without disrupting production?
A few Swedish manufacturers provide low-friction transition pathways or drop-in solutions. Rottneros Packaging has a standard range of Nature by Rottneros trays with short lead times, facilitating switches from plastic to fiber in months. Holmen Elevate is designed as a direct material replacement and requires no changes to the production line. Blue Ocean Closures’ fiber caps are designed for use on existing bottling lines.
Which Swedish packaging companies have SBTi-approved climate targets?
Billerud has both near-term 2030 targets and long-term net-zero 2050 targets approved by the Science Based Targets initiative—the first in its sector to achieve both approvals. This provides externally verified accountability for climate claims.
What role does the European Investment Bank play in Swedish sustainable packaging?
The EIB supports Swedish packaging innovation with venture debt financing. The InvestEU program provided €20 million to PulPac in July 2025, with EIB Vice-President Thomas Östros stating the loan would help “next-generation technologies with global potential” in the fight against plastic pollution.
Can these manufacturers produce custom packaging for specific brand requirements?
Yes. Rottneros Packaging offers custom design and development services, working closely with brands “from first sketch to final product” to create tailored fibre-based packaging that fits seamlessly into production lines and strengthens brand identity. Billerud also works closely with customers across more than 100 countries to develop application-specific materials.
