Last January, the American group Jabil bought Ecologic Brands, a Californian packaging manufacturer specialized in paper-based bottles. Two months later, Jabil announced a $25 million investment in this business. Part of this investment will finance the construction of a new paper bottle plant in Tortosa, Spain. The group says it is responding to the strong demand for sustainability in the packaging sector.
"This expansion will create the first large-scale paper-based technology in the market as Jabil brings Ecologic's innovative pulp molding capabilities to new geographic regions, and enables the production of several hundred million new paper packages." explains Jabil.
Ecologic Brands' flagship product is the Eco.bottle, a bottle consisting of an inner plastic pocket surrounded by a paper-based shell that provides rigidity. It contains, according to the company, 60% less plastic than a traditional plastic bottle. The solution has already been adopted by major brands such as L'Oréal or Seventh Generation (cleaning products).
"As consumers become more aware of the environmental impact of plastic waste, they are looking for new sustainable packaging solutions, such as paper. The challenge for packaging suppliers is the ability to expand production to meet this demand." said Jason Paladino, Jabil's senior vice president and CEO of Jabil Packaging Solutions.
