Swiss-based Perlen Industrieholding AG has entered into an exclusive agreement with UK packaging innovator Pulpex to produce fibre-based paper bottles across parts of Central Europe.
The initiative positions the Perlen mill as a potential early industrial platform for moulded-fibre bottle production.
Under the deal, exclusive manufacturing rights cover Switzerland, Austria, Italy, and southern Germany. Both sides are assessing how to deploy the technology on an industrial scale, with production potentially starting in 2027.
The partnership supports Perlen’s strategy to expand beyond traditional papermaking into fibre-moulded packaging.
Fibre-based bottle technology reduces plastic use
The patented Pulpex bottle offers a recyclable alternative to plastic and glass. It uses a food-grade barrier coating that preserves product integrity while allowing the container to be recycled through existing paper waste streams. Tests within the 4evergreen framework confirm full compatibility with paper recycling systems.
Pulpex’s fibre bottle technology has been gaining attention in recent years, as highlighted in a previous Paper Advance feature on the potential of paper bottles to replace plastic packaging.
The format suits a wide range of products from beverages and food items to cosmetics and may ultimately serve the wine and spirits market. Lightweight and low-carbon, fibre bottles can cut packaging-related emissions by up to 90% compared with glass.
Closing the fibre loop
Perlen’s established recycling operations could help integrate paper bottles into a closed-loop fibre system, where used containers return to the mill’s recycling stream and are reused as raw material for new products.
Dr. Florian Geiger,
CEO Perlen Industrie Holding AG & Perlen Papier AGCEO Dr. Florian Geiger said the agreement allows the group to bring “an innovative, recyclable packaging solution that aligns with customer and consumer demand while building on our existing infrastructure and expertise.”
Sandy Westwater,
Executive Chairman and CEO, PulpexPulpex CEO Sandy Westwater described the partnership as “a strong example of how industrial collaboration can rapidly bring a sustainable, scalable bottle alternative to market,” adding that the company is working with partners to replace over one billion plastic and glass bottles by 2030.
If industrial deployment proceeds as planned, the Perlen site could become one of Europe’s first large-scale producers of moulded-fibre bottles.
Perlen Papier AG operates a major recycled-paper mill in Perlen, Switzerland, producing publication papers while increasingly exploring fibre-based packaging and moulded-fibre technologies as part of its diversification strategy.
Pulpex is a UK developer of moulded-fibre bottle technology that produces recyclable paper bottles designed as a lower-carbon alternative to plastic and glass packaging for beverages, food and personal care products.
Source: Pulpex
