SACMI has reached an important milestone in sustainable packaging through the continued advancement of its FIBER-CAP project.
Supported by co-funding from the Italian Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy (MIMIT) under the “Agreements for Innovation” tender, the initiative has moved beyond experimental development. It is now a fully validated, industrial-ready technology for producing packaging from natural fibres.
Created by SACMI’s Rigid Packaging Lab, FIBER-CAP is based on an automated pilot dry moulding line. The system is designed to open new possibilities for rigid packaging by applying paper-based biomaterials to a range of food and beverage applications.
Next-generation dry moulding
Cellulose, the world’s most abundant biopolymer, is central to the FIBER-CAP process. Fully compostable and recyclable through conventional paper recycling systems, it is shaped using an innovative dry moulding method that delivers several important benefits:
- Zero water consumption: removing water from the moulding stage significantly lowers resource use and reduces the process’s overall environmental impact.
- Shorter cycles and efficient energy use: compared with alternative forming technologies, the dry process supports faster production cycles while preserving strong energy performance.
- Reliable material compaction: specialised engineering achieves consistent compaction, including across complex side walls, making it possible to manufacture detailed shapes and functional packaging geometries.
From pilot development to industrial production
Extensive validation and stability trials on SACMI’s automated pilot line have verified the robustness of the process and the high mechanical performance of the finished parts. Testing has also confirmed the system’s versatility, with the ability to process different material specifications and produce a wide range of packaging formats.
Developed alongside international universities and leading food industry partners, FIBER-CAP has already demonstrated its suitability for numerous applications, including:
- Closures and caps: Durable caps for beverage packaging and other containers.
- Single-dose containers: Sustainable coffee pods and single-serving capsules.
- Lids and rigid components: A variety of specialised parts for rigid packaging formats.
Expanding the potential of circular packaging
FIBER-CAP creates a dependable route for manufacturing fibre-based caps and containers that can enter established paper recycling or organic waste collection streams. This gives brand owners, packaging producers and food and beverage manufacturers new options for responding to tightening environmental requirements. With the technology now validated for industrial implementation, SACMI is advancing circular packaging solutions that offer scalable production, reliable performance and credible environmental benefits.