paboco develops solutions Bio-based packaging made from pulp. The Danish joint venture was founded in 2019 by ALPLA and the pulp and paper manufacturer Billerud. The packaging specialist ALPLA, which operates internationally, now acquires the shares of Billerud and, as majority shareholder, invests in expanding manufacturing capacity. Starting in late 2024, Paboco plans to produce a fully recyclable paper bottle in a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Denmark.
Paboco (The Paper Bottle Company) develops and produces fiber-based packaging solutions using innovative pulping technology. The company, based in Slangerup, Denmark, was founded in 2019 by ALPLA and Billerud as a joint venture. By acquiring all the shares of Billerud and investing in Paboco, the packaging and recycling specialist ALPLA, as a majority shareholder, is driving the rapid industrialization of the fully recyclable paper bottle made with FSC certified fibers.
“Safety, affordability and sustainability are the core criteria of our packaging solutions. After several years of intensive development and revolutionary innovations, the Paboco team is now ready to bring its pioneering product to the market and establish the paper bottle as a sustainable alternative for a wide range of customers,” says ALPLA CEO, Philip Lehner.
Successful testing phase
Since 2021, Paboco has been testing the first products on the market together with members of Paboco Pioneer Community: The Absolut Company, Carlsberg Group, The Coca-Cola Company, L'Oréal and Procter & Gamble. Following the successful test phase, series production of the next generation of recyclable paper bottles is planned to begin at the end of 2024.
“The vision of the fully recyclable, bio-based paper bottle has driven the team to create amazing results in just a short development period. With the current bottle configuration, we are targeting the beauty, fabrics and home care segment, but continued development will also allow us to bring our next generation bottle to other applications. “We are happy that ALPLA is fully committed to supporting us on this journey,” he explains. Tim Silbermann, executive director of Paboco.
For market launch, the company plans to establish a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility and development center in Denmark. There are currently 18 employees at Paboco; The number of employees is expected to increase significantly when series production begins.
Innovations for the future
Paboco's long-term goal is to develop and scale fully recyclable and bio-based paper bottles. To do this, the company can count on the support of ALPLA: “At ALPLA we work intensively on alternative materials, we invest in promising projects and we actively shape technological progress as a “family of pioneers”,” he highlights. Christian zmölnig, Director of Corporate Research. Development and Innovation of ALPLA and President of the Board of Directors of Paboco. The new board of directors of Paboco is completed Ricardo Rehm, financial director of ALPLA, and Rainer Widmar, general director for Central and Eastern Europe of ALPLA.
