The product the project intends to develop, and manufacture is a pot/jar with re-closable function, and which is only made of forest raw material. The requirements the project places on the product are that it must be in demand in the market. The product must have properties that make it not only a disposable packaging but are used by the consumer until the content has been consumed. The re-closable function makes it easy to reseal the packaging even with liquid contents. The outside must be smooth and be manufactured with such precision that knurled grip surfaces can be manufactured.
In the project the partners will manufacture prototype cans with advanced and effective moulding methods. The way the product will be manufactured is unique and is not on the market today. During the project period, the manufacturing process will also be developed.
The product the project intends to develop is a so-called “ready to fill” RTF package based on dry cellulose and consists of chemical or mechanical pulp based on Swedish forest raw material. The technologies that are developed and evaluated in the project are mainly dry forming, which is a technology under development with the addition of soft forming tools that enable straight and inward-shaped shapes and Ultra Hard Pressure which allows the formation of high-density materials of cellulose with high mechanical strength and precise shapes and surfaces.
The hypothesis is that the development of mainly these technologies is enough to form a technically acceptable re-closable function at the same level as today’s plastic packaging. Conversion from plastic packaging contributes to reduced carbon dioxide loads, increased recycling, and reduced amounts of microplastics in the ocean and nature, the project partners’ hope is that this project will be a major step in this direction.
Participants
RISE IVF AB and Billerudkorsnäs Sweden AB.
Budget & time plan
The project’s budget is 1 MSEK and the project runs during six months – from May 2020 to February 2021.