SUSTAINABLE INDUSTRY They are replacing plastic screw caps with paper fiber – aiming for 5 billion units per year "We want to replace a small gadget of which there are any number," says Lars Sandberg, CEO of Blue Ocean Closures. Several billion plastic caps and lids are consumed every day. They are the first in the world – and are supported by industry giants. Säfflefabriken (Sweden) does what no one else has managed to achieve on a large scale: cellulose-based screw caps that replace plastic. A new EU directive on plastic lids can speed up the transition. The cellulose-based closures must live up to three basic requirements: - They must consist entirely of biomaterials, they must be able to be recycled into new cellulose products, and the corks that still end up in nature must be broken down without leaving any microplastics behind, says Ulrika Evermark, director of partnerships at Blue Ocean Closures. Globally, 6.5 billion plastic caps and closures are consumed every day. This corresponds to 2,500 billion oil-based disposable products per year. https://www.nyteknik.se/papper-plast-topp/de-ersatter-plast-med-pappersfiber-siktar-pa-5-miljarder-enheter-per-ar/2011223