Sweden-based startup packaging firm Meadow has announced that its alliance with United States-based Ball Corp. will help “drive a shift away from linear packaging” by harnessing the “industrial capability” of Ball to “replace billions of linear containers” with aluminium packaging.
Image credit: Meadow
Founded in 2020, Meadow is targeting traditionally plastic-reliant sectors such as personal hygiene and beauty products with its aluminium packaging solutions. The company says its approach “leverages existing consumer behaviour rather than attempting to change it” and aims to “drive circularity at a global scale” through a versatile, cost-efficient and scalable system.
This system uses aluminium cans as pre-filled containers for categories beyond the beverage sector. Meadow highlights aluminium beverage cans as having “the highest recycling collection rate in the world” and says its packaging format for products such as liquid soap and shampoo “minimises raw material use and reduces overall weight by eliminating the traditional pull tab.” Branding can also be added to meet individual business requirements, offering “visibility and circularity across multiple product categories, markets and needs.”
When the arrangement with Colorado-based Ball Corp. was announced in January, Meadow CEO Victor Ljungberg said: “With Ball, we can offer global reach for our circular packaging solution, expanding the availability of a cost-efficient, easy-to-use and recyclable pre-fill technology. Together, we are accelerating the adoption of circular packaging among global consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands across multiple categories.”
Jay Billings, president of Ball Growth Ventures, added: “We’re excited to work with Meadow to deliver our shared vision of bringing sustainable solutions at scale to meet our customers’ sustainability goals.”
As of mid-2025, Meadow is collaborating with a global network of partners, including contract manufacturers, design companies and equipment manufacturers. Among its new partners is Maryland-based contract manufacturer C-Care.
Meadow’s proprietary Kapsul technology has been designed to expand the potential packaging applications for aluminium cans, with some options also including a refill feature. Victoria Marletta, vice president of Ball Corp. for commercial, personal and home care sectors, commented: “The Meadow technology is definitely the next big thing in refill packaging, and through our partnership, we can ensure efficient production and scalability for brands worldwide. We believe in the power of reusable systems and aluminium cans, and we’re proud to expand the reach of reuse and refill with our aluminium can.”
Kapsul features a versatile pre-filled cartridge paired with a reusable dispenser, which brands can customise when licensing Meadow’s technology. A twist-to-open mechanism ensures easy opening with minimal effort, the firm says.
According to Meadow, three years of product design testing in the UK has shown that its system “not only meets sustainability expectations but also delivers an experience consumers enjoy.” The company notes that the signature “pop” sound when activating a new Meadow Kapsul was frequently cited as making the product feel premium and added to the enjoyment of the packaging experience.
In the UK, consumers rated Meadow 4.4 out of 5 for sustainability, 4.2 out of 5 for “premiumness”, and 4.1 out of 5 for convenience when compared to pouches and single-use bottles, the company reports.
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