Moulded fibre is wood or recycled pulp formed into three-dimensional shapes. The traditional wet process is the egg-carton method; dry-moulded fibre, pioneered by PulPac (Sweden), skips the water slurry and uses far less energy. Barrier coatings are needed for liquids and grease.
It replaces thermoformed plastic trays, clamshells, cups and lids, caps, blister packs and EPS foam. Huhtamaki is investing EUR 30 million in Finnish thermoformed-fibre capacity; PulPac runs the Bottle Collective with Logoplaste, Haleon and Sanofi, which produced an 80 ml Baileys prototype in 2024; Paboco's paper bottle with a Blue Ocean Closures fibre cap was declared market-ready for consumers in early 2025; Zume is working with Solenis on coatings free of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS); and Sabert's Pulp Ultra won a US Plastics Pact award in 2025.
End of life is the paper recycling stream if the coating is repulpable, and composting if uncoated and PFAS-free. A trade analysis finds moulded fibre costs 12 to 18 percent less than polystyrene foam, delivered, once extended producer responsibility (EPR) fees on foam are included. These are fees producers pay for their packaging's disposal. But production is slower and more energy intensive than plastic thermoforming. Michigan State University's APEX Lab reports a PFAS-free bio-barrier at about US$0.044 a square metre, cost-competitive with PE extrusion coating.
Drawbacks and greenwashing risks: grease-proofing historically used PFAS, so demand a PFAS-free declaration; PE-lined paper cups are neither recyclable nor compostable in most systems; paper bottles still need a thin plastic or bio-liner; wet moulding uses a lot of water and energy. Require Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) fibre.