Pulpex has started production at its first commercial-scale fibre bottle plant near Glasgow, with initial capacity of 40 million units a year and an ambition to scale to 1 billion units. More than 90% of the plant's capacity for the current financial year has already been secured, including by Purely Scottish Natural Mineral Water and smol.
Why this mattersFirst industrial-scale supply of plastic-free fibre bottles gives brand owners an alternative to PET and glass, and gives licensees a route into the format regionally.
- The plant near Glasgow started commercial production in October 2026 with initial capacity of 40 million units a year.
- Long-term target is 1 billion units globally.
- More than 90% of the plant's capacity for the current financial year is secured; early adopters include Purely Scottish Natural Mineral Water and smol.
- Pulpex is backed by a consortium including Diageo, Unilever, PepsiCo and Kraft Heinz.
- Swiss manufacturer Perlen Industrieholding holds licence rights for Switzerland, Austria, Italy and southern Germany.
- India-based Alternicq holds exclusive development rights for India and the Gulf Cooperation Council.
Pulpex is opening its first commercial-scale paper bottle factory near Glasgow this month, with capacity building towards 40 million bottles a year across three production lines. Initial output supplies bottles for Purely Scottish mineral water and Smol laundry detergent going on sale this autumn. The plant was funded by a USD 82m (GBP 62m) raise announced last year, including USD 57.5m (GBP 43.5m) from the UK National Wealth Fund and USD 13.2m (GBP 10m) from the Scottish National Investment Bank.
Why this mattersA working single-material paper bottle with an integrated barrier moves from pilot to commercial scale, testing whether the technology can displace plastic bottling at volume.
- Pulpex's first commercial-scale factory is opening near Glasgow this month.
- Capacity is set to build towards a maximum of 40 million bottles per year across three lines.
- Initial paper bottles supply Purely Scottish mineral water and Smol laundry detergent, on sale this autumn.
- The factory was funded by a USD 82m (GBP 62m) raise announced last year.
- USD 57.5m (GBP 43.5m) came from the UK National Wealth Fund and USD 13.2m (GBP 10m) from the Scottish National Investment Bank.
- The bottle is moulded from wood pulp with a water-based barrier coating making up six to seven per cent of total weight, containing no PET or HDPE.
UK homecare brand Smol has rolled out a wood-pulp fibre laundry detergent bottle using Pulpex technology, targeting the 58 million plastic laundry liquid containers sold annually in the UK. The launch follows a GBP 62m (USD 83.0m) funding round at Pulpex, including GBP 43.5m (USD 58.3m) from the UK National Wealth Fund, to build the company's first commercial-scale manufacturing plant in Scotland. Pulpex says the bottle, fitted with a recyclable plastic dosing cap, has passed the 4evergreen recyclability methodology for paper mill processing.
Why this mattersA first at-scale fmcg deployment of paper detergent bottles tests whether fibre packaging can displace plastic in a high-volume, liquid-fill category.
- Smol's bottle uses Pulpex wood-pulp fibre technology with an ultra-thin water-based barrier lining.
- It targets 58 million plastic laundry liquid containers sold in the UK each year, over 8,120 tonnes of plastic.
- The bottle passed the 4evergreen recyclability methodology for paper mill processing.
- Pulpex has raised a GBP 62m (USD 83.0m) funding round, including GBP 43.5m (USD 58.3m) from the UK National Wealth Fund.
- The funding will build Pulpex's first commercial-scale manufacturing facility, in Scotland.
- Unilever unveiled a prototype paper detergent bottle for its Omo/Persil/Skip/Breeze brands five years earlier but has not launched it in UK grocery.
- Pulpex has built the manufacturing facility in Scotland financed by its GBP 62m (USD 83.0m) funding round.
- The Scotland plant is intended to bring paper water bottles to retail shelves amid tightening plastic packaging regulation.
Perlen Papier has begun marketing Pulpex-technology fibre bottles in Germany, holding exclusive production rights for southern Germany, Austria, Italy and Switzerland. The moulded-paper-fibre bottles, lined with a food-safe plastic-free barrier, target still beverages, dairy, oils, wine, spirits and cosmetics with shelf lives over 24 months. Perlen Papier is evaluating local production at its Perlen site in Switzerland from end 2027.
Why this mattersA Swiss-produced paper-fibre bottle gives German and Alpine brand owners a lower-carbon alternative to glass and PET, with production planned close to a key European market.
- Perlen Papier holds exclusive Pulpex production rights for southern Germany, Austria, Italy and Switzerland.
- Bottles are available in 300ml, 500ml and 750ml, with plans to extend to 200-1,000ml.
- Cradle-to-gate CO2 footprint is about 90% lower than glass and 30% lower than PET, per the company.
- Bottles offer shelf life of more than 24 months depending on application.
- Perlen Papier is assessing production at its Perlen, Switzerland site starting end of 2027.
- The fibre body is moulded from cellulose fibres via a wet-forming process, without adhesives.
- The Perlen-Pulpex fibre bottle has passed the Cepi 4evergreen recyclability test
- Perlen Papier markets the bottle as plastic-free and adhesive-free, made from single-piece moulded cellulose fibre
