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.”
Together with 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.
PulPac’s 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 partners that has shown strong interest in the project from the beginning.
Sustainability has always been our core mission, but commercial viability is equally important. Together with PulPac, 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.”
For Yoik, the Småland-based producer behind Helwit nicotine pouches, packaging innovation is a natural extension of product development.
“Helwit has always been about doing things differently,” says Tobias Björneskog, Co-Founder of Yoik. “Packaging is part of that journey. Through Helwit Concept, we continuously explore new ideas and formats within the category. Developing a fiber-based oral pouch can feels like a natural next step in improving both the product and the overall user experience.”
PulPac also highlights the strength of the collaboration.
“The most exciting aspect of this project is how quickly we have been able to move from idea to a tangible packaging concept together,” says Sanna Fager, Chief Commercial Officer at PulPac.
“At the same time, developing packaging for a completely new category at these production volumes takes time. Strong collaboration between technology, manufacturing, and brand partners is essential.”
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.
Yoik AB is a Swedish manufacturer of tobacco-free nicotine pouches under the brand Helwit, produced in the company’s own factory in Småland, Sweden.
Launched in 2021, Helwit combines Swedish manufacturing with a strong focus on quality, flavor innovation, and responsible production practices. Through Helwit Concept, the company continuously explores new ideas together with its user community, ranging from flavor development to packaging innovation.
Learn more at: www.helwit.se
PulPac is the company behind Dry Molded Fiber, an industrial technology for manufacturing rigid fiber packaging at high speed and with low resource consumption.
The technology is developed and patented by PulPac and is scaled globally through a network of partners and licensees. The mission is to replace single-use plastics with fiber-based solutions at industrial scale.
Learn more at: www.pulpac.com