HP Inc. has acquired Choose Packaging, a packaging development company and inventor of the only commercially available zero-plastic paper bottle in the world.

Choose Packaging’s patented technology provides an alternative to plastic bottles and can hold a wide variety of liquid products. Its novel, paper-based bottles are made with naturally occurring and non-toxic materials, and are claimed to pave the way for a new standard for bottling options globally. The packaging development company works with many large global companies including Accolade Wines, Henkel, and Pernod Ricard and its Malibu Rum brand.

For HP, the parent company of toner digital printing specialist HP Indigo, the acquisition represents, ‘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.’

That is according to Savi Baveja, HP’s chief strategy and incubation officer, who continued, ‘Choose Packaging has built a truly differentiated technology and we are excited to welcome this talented team to the HP family.’

The acquisition furthers HP’s ambitions to disrupt the $10 billion fibre-based sustainable packaging market. According to the company, there are more than 150 million tons of single-use plastics produced each year. HP intends to disrupt this market with fibre-based, 100% plastic-free packaging. It has already introduced its Molded Fiber Tooling Solution, a 3D printing-enabled system designed to bring customisable, fibre-based products to market faster and more affordably. With the integration of Choose Packaging into its Personalization & 3D Printing business, HP will focus on scaling its technology and customer footprint to expand the addressable market.

James Longcroft, founder and managing director at Choose Packaging, said, ‘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.’

Sandy Mayo, chief marketing officer at Accolade Wines, one of Choose Packaging’s existing customers, is similarly excited by the link up with HP.

‘At Accolade Wines, we put innovation and sustainability at the heart of everything we do in our mission to be the world’s most innovative wine company. We are excited to see Choose join a recognized leader like HP who puts these topics at the top of its agenda. Consumers are demanding more sustainable alternatives and we look forward to continuing our work together to be the first wine company globally to deliver 100% biodegradable packaging across some of our leading brands including Banrock Station and Hardys.’

For Berthold Schreck, vice president, R&D, laundry care at Henkel, ‘Choose and HP bring together a game-changing combination of packaging technologies and we are excited to collaborate to develop new sustainable packaging solutions and reduce plastics in our consumer goods products.’