Future Materials Sweden are developing a fiber-based oral pouch can designed to replace traditional plastic packaging.
In Sweden alone, there are approximately 1.4 million snus users, consuming an average of nearly 4.5 cans per week each. This results in hundreds of millions of oral pouch cans every year — almost all made from plastic.
“We know how important the can is for both the consumer and the filling process,” says Morgan Svensson, Founder of Future Materials Sweden. “The demands for functionality, durability, and user experience are extremely high. At the same time, we know plastic is a growing environmental problem, and we saw an opportunity to create something better from a sustainability perspective.”
By using technology licensed by PulPac, Future Materials Sweden have now developed the first concept for a fiber-based oral pouch can. The ambition is to create a solution capable of matching the performance and functionality of traditional plastic cans while significantly reducing environmental impact.
An oral pouch can follows the consumer throughout the day — carried in pockets and bags, opened and closed repeatedly. Beyond protecting the product, the packaging must maintain its shape, durability, and premium feel during daily use.
The Dry Molded Fiber technology, which forms rigid fiber products quickly and with minimal water consumption, creates new possibilities for packaging categories that demand high precision, strong structural performance, cost efficiency and scalable production capabilities.
The project is now moving into further testing phases with Yoik under their brand Helwit, including evaluations within production and filling lines. As with any next-generation packaging innovation, the design will continue to evolve and improve before reaching large-scale manufacturing readiness.
At the same time, planning is underway for industrial scaling and future production expansion.
“Yoik and Helwit will be the first to test the concept commercially,” Morgan Svensson continues. “We are also in close dialogue with several international customers that has shown strong interest in the project from the beginning.
Sustainability has always been our core mission, but commercial viability is equally important. Our ambition is to scale this concept internationally. The more companies that transition to fiber-based packaging, the more plastic we can replace — and the greater the environmental impact we can create.”
The development comes at a time when the global market for smoke-free nicotine products continues to grow rapidly. According to analysis from Goldman Sachs, smoke-free nicotine products — including snus, nicotine pouches, and e-cigarettes — are expected to surpass traditional cigarettes in popularity in the U.S. market in the near future.