100 innovations that can transform beauty: Supported by several of the world’s leading lifestyle companies, Blue Ocean Closures has cracked the code for the next-gen conscious applications. The next wave in beauty, the brand suggests, may come from combining aesthetics and consumer experience with actual recyclability, lower-carbon materials, and smarter manufacturing economics.

The venture develops and manufactures fibre-based closures and components using proprietary Deep Forming technology. Based in Karlstad, Sweden, the company partners with leading global brands and converters to replace plastics with renewable, recyclable materials. 

– We are first in the world to launch commercial fibre screw caps, proving the viability of large-scale, low-cost fibre forming for industrial packaging applications, says Ulrika Evermark, CMO.

Yes, you’ve come a relatively long way and are fully operational.

– Yes, we have been at the forefront of developing commercially viable fibre-based closure solutions and are helping brands and packaging companies in several different segments to bring these technologies into real-world applications. Operating as a specialist innovation partner, we have key capabilities and competencies to move a project from early ideas or concepts to a scalable, market-ready solution. One of our pioneering partners is L’Oréal Groupe, with whom we are proudly working together through the L’AcceleratOR.

For L’Oréal, Global Head Packaging Science Center David Guerin explains, collaborating with such pioneering companies is key to contributing to its sustainable packaging ambitions. 

– Their innovative work on biobased and recyclable cellulose fibre closures aligns perfectly with our vision for a circular future, he says, and we are confident that supporting such cutting-edge technologies is essential.

– Fully implemented, Blue Ocean Closures’ fibre screw cap reduces our plastic use by 2.6 tons per year, Patrik Falk, CEO of another partner company, Great Earth of Scandinavia, shares.

In early 2026, polyethylene producers pushed for price increases of almost €0.30 per pound, with further increases proposed in subsequent months. At the same time, Plastics Information Europe reported sharp rises in European polymer prices, with some polyethylene grades increasing by several hundred euros per ton in a single month. 

Fibre-based closures were previously seen as a slightly more expensive but more sustainable option. With the latest developments in resin prices and technology advancements, that is no longer the case. In several applications, they are now becoming the lower production-cost alternative.

– We have built a solution that has the clear potential to challenge conventional materials like plastics, also on costs, not only sustainability performance, especially at a time when others are forced to raise prices due to cost volatility on fossil-based raw materials, says Ulrika Evermark. Our solution is created through smart design, more stable, readily available materials and a robust, energy-efficient process.

Have you conducted any LCAs? How much of a difference does it make to use your options?

– The impact is big since we are often talking about big volumes of consumer products and a really significant reduction of plastics, at least 95%. While LCAs need to be done on each specific solution, some results show 53% lower emissions compared to plastic and 62% lower emissions compared to metal caps. Another example of a customer testing the Blue Ocean Closures’ application compared to their current plastic solution states that the environmental impact is 9 times lower.

What has been the most challenging when developing the company? 

– It has not been developing the technology itself, but bringing in a new category into the value chain. For a long time, sustainable packaging was expected to come with a cost premium or a quality deficit, and brands, converters, and suppliers were all thinking around that logic. What we’ve started to see is that adoption accelerates when sustainability and economics align. The real breakthrough happens now when better environmental performance also lowers material dependency and improves total cost and value, Evermark explains. She adds:

– Beauty has historically led packaging innovation through aesthetics and consumer experience. The next wave may come from combining those strengths with actual recyclability, lower-carbon materials, and smarter manufacturing economics. The winners are likely to be brands that treat packaging not as a compliance topic, but as a strategic opportunity with design, care, cost, and customer value at the same time.

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