TECHNOLOGY giant HP – best known for its computers – has announced the acquisition of Edinburgh-based Choose Packaging for an undisclosed amount.
The packaging development firm is the inventor of what HP said is the only commercially available zero-plastic paper bottle in the world.
Choose’s patented technology allows for the creation of paper-based bottles made with naturally occurring and non-toxic materials, which HP said paves the way for a new standard of bottling solutions globally.
Savi Baveja, chief strategy and incubation officer at HP, said, “This acquisition is a great example of how we continue to strengthen our capabilities in attractive verticals like sustainable packaging while also driving progress against HP’s broader sustainability goals.
“Choose has built a truly differentiated technology and we are excited to welcome this talented team to the HP family.”
HP said that it is ‘well positioned’ to disrupt the $10 billion fibre-based sustainable packaging market, with its first step in ‘transforming’ the industry being the introduction of its 3D printed-enabled moulded fibre tooling solution.
With the integration of Choose into its Personalization & 3D Printing business, HP said it will focus on scaling its technology and customer footprint to expand the addressable market.
It added that there are more than 150 million tons of single-use plastics produced each year and it intends to disrupt this market with fibre-based, 100% plastic-free packaging.
James Longcroft, founder and MD of Choose Packaging, commented, “As a plastic-free packaging development company, we’ve successfully created technology that can provide a viable alternative to plastic bottles to help eliminate single-use PET packaging. HP’s world-class capabilities and expertise can help scale our impact at a global level. We are thrilled to join the HP team and couldn’t have chosen a better match in terms of our shared goals for business, technology, sustainability, and a values-oriented culture.”
