In the transition toward plastic-free packaging, the French specialist and PulPac licensee Hébert Group has collaborated with ANDRITZ to enhance Dry Molded Fiber production. Based in Orgelet, France, this family-owned company has long been dedicated to high-quality consumer packaging solutions.

As the demand for food and drink sustainable packaging rises, both consumers and brand owners are seeking alternatives to traditional plastic packaging. The Hébert Group specializes in developing custom-molded packaging solutions for renowned European and international brands in the food, dairy, cosmetics, and reuse sectors. The group recognizes the pressing need for more sustainable packaging options.

Julien Hébert, Chief Commercial Officer at the Hébert Group, emphasizes, “We listen closely to our customers to create products that are chosen by the top names in the food and cosmetics industries. In these discussions, we have gained a deeper understanding of their expectations regarding sustainable development.”

“This approach has naturally driven us to diversify our technologies, creating new opportunities and strengthening our position as a pioneer into other raw materials and environmentally friendly processes.”

Following an extensive market analysis in 2020, the company delved into the innovative technology of Dry Molded Fiber derived from natural cellulose fibers. By 2023, the group had established a dedicated facility along with its first Dry Molded Fiber production line.

“We take pride in our commitment to sustainability in our manufacturing processes, which are energy and water-efficient, utilizing renewable or recycled materials that are free from fossil fuels,” Julien Hébert continues. “This is why we’ve decided to incorporate Dry Molded Fiber into our offerings.”

To kick-start its Dry Molded Fiber initiative, the group launched a dedicated business unit in 2023—Herpulp—and invested in several first-generation Modula lines using ANDRITZ Dan-Web mill-to-web forming technology. In 2024, ANDRITZ provided expert support to finalize the commissioning process and stabilize product consistency. Throughout 2025, the Hébert Group benefited from technical visits, parameter optimization, and process enhancements, culminating in a comprehensive service contract that ensures ANDRITZ continues to support the Hébert Group during the commissioning of these lines, aiming for a successful Site Acceptance Test (SAT).

Mathieu Hébert, Chief Operating Officer at the Hébert Group, states, “Fiber integration began even before the installation of our first line in Orgelet, with the construction of a dedicated facility designed to prevent any risk of cross-contamination. Today, we integrate this activity into our standards and aim to position this technology as a complement to our core business, broadening our product portfolio to meet diverse customer needs.”

“We have been supported in this process by the experienced ANDRITZ team that is highly dynamic, motivated, and committed. Customer feedback highlights the cost-effectiveness, high-quality finishing, and unique premium perception of our Dry Molded Fiber products.”

Currently, the company produces trays and lids under its Herpulp brand using Dry Molded Fiber technology and is exploring the production of deep-draw products for the future.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE: PARTNERSHIPS ARE ESSENTIAL

As regulatory pressures to eliminate single-use plastics grow, alongside rising customer expectations and the requirement to maintain cost-effective performance, the challenges facing packaging specialists are significant. Success in this arena necessitates strong technology partners who not only supply equipment but also actively support optimization and long-term service. “We strongly believe in the Dry Molded Fiber concept as a way to scale up sustainable packaging, especially since we began collaborating with ANDRITZ,” says Julien Hébert. “For us, this partnership offers an excellent opportunity due to ANDRITZ’s extensive experience in delivering complete industrial solutions to the pulp and paper industry, project management support, and robust market demand for this type of sustainable packaging.”

“Our future ambitions together include reducing market costs, stabilizing production lines, and developing molds specifically designed for Dry Molded Fiber technology.” This collaboration between the Hébert Group and ANDRITZ exemplifies how targeted investments, technical expertise, and a shared vision can yield truly sustainable packaging that benefits the planet without compromising quality or speed.

WHAT DOES ANDRITZ OFFER FOR SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING SOLUTIONS?

Bruno Roche, Senior Vice President at ANDRITZ Nonwoven & Textile, elaborates:

Shifting from single-use plastic to natural cellulosic fibers is undoubtedly the most sustainable route for packaging. Dry Molded Fiber is industrially achievable by integrating proven technologies—Airlaid forming, nonwoven converting, and thermo-forming—relying on ANDRITZ’s seasoned expertise. This integrated process significantly lowers water and energy usage, all while facilitating recyclable and circular packaging solutions. Dry Molded Fiber aligns with ANDRITZ’s core strengths developed over decades in pulp, paper, and tissue technologies. The potential is substantial: transitioning even a portion of single-use plastic packaging to fiber could warrant new pulp mill investments, which sit at the heart of ANDRITZ’s offerings.

Affordable, sustainable raw materials are crucial for economically viable Dry Molded Fiber, where ANDRITZ combines its expansive expertise with a comprehensive suite of sustainable energy solutions. With proven industrial know-how in scalable pressing and molding from the automotive sector, ANDRITZ uniquely positions itself to industrialize Dry Molded Fiber on the scale required by brand owners. Together with innovators like Hébert Group, we are building this value chain with ambition and humility. To expedite Dry Molded Fiber industrialization, ANDRITZ has also founded a full Airlaid Dry Molded Fiber Technical Center in “Cellulose Valley” in Grenoble, France, tailored to support pioneers like Hébert Group from the outset.

This close collaboration between our teams provides a strategic advantage, validating solutions in a full industrial environment in Orgelet, covering everything from fiber formulation to mold validation and end-product applications. Through its Solution as a Service concept, ANDRITZ mitigates innovation risks under strict confidentiality—guiding producers confidently from pilot trials to full-scale turnkey DMF lines and translating ambition into market reality.

BUILDING THE DRY MOLDED FIBER ECOSYSTEM TOGETHER

PulPac collaborates with licensees, machine partners, and technology specialists to industrialize Dry Molded Fiber, bringing fiber-based applications to market. The advancements made by the Hébert Group and ANDRITZ serve as a pivotal example of how this ecosystem evolves in practice, blending industrial commitment with application know-how, process insights, and scalable machine technology.

“Dry Molded Fiber is progressing because dedicated individuals and companies are committed to making it a reality. Alongside licensees like Hébert Group and machinery partners such as ANDRITZ, we are establishing the industrial framework necessary to scale this technology. This is how Dry Molded Fiber transforms from a vision into an industrial fact,” states Sanna Fager, Chief Commercial Officer at PulPac.