GLASGOW-based Cullen has launched a fully integrated, fibre-based transit system for the lucrative UK candle market.
The system combines a corrugated outer with a precision-engineered moulded fibre fitment, designed to withstand the high-vibration stresses of last-mile e-commerce delivery.
Designed together, Cullen explained that the two components perform best as a unit. Both are also available separately, enabling brands to adopt the moulded fibre fitment as a standalone upgrade.
Cullen’s integrated approach allows for a closed-loop process, using waste from the corrugated manufacturing process as raw material for the moulded fibre fitments.
The range has been developed in response to demand from home fragrance brands seeking a fully recyclable transit alternative, and is available in standard configurations suited to common glass candle formats, with adaptation for brand-specific size requirements.
The launch arrives as UK brands prepare for the 2026 shift toward modulated fees under Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation. Cullen said mono-material paper packaging is expected to attract significantly lower fees than mixed-material alternatives, while hard-to-recycle plastic packaging faces surcharges.
Jo Markwick, chief commercial officer at Cullen, said, “Candle brands have been able to move their outer packaging to sustainable materials for years, but the internal protection has remained the ‘unsolvable’ piece of the puzzle. Because we manufacture both components in-house — using our own proprietary moulded fibre machinery for the fitment — we’ve eliminated the ‘rattle-room’ found when sourcing from separate suppliers.
“The result is a seamless interface that protects fragile glass without a single gram of plastic. We produce over one billion plastic-free moulded fibre products from our Glasgow facility every two years. And because everything is made here in the UK, our customers have the price, scale and reliability they need regardless of what is happening in global supply chains.”
