Partner Article

How Cullen Solved the £550m Candle Packaging Plastic Problem

Cullen Packaging launches a fully recyclable, all-fibre candle transit system that protects glass jars and removes polystyrene and bubble wrap.

The company has solved what many in the £550m (US$728.3m) UK candle market call the ‘unsolvable’ plastic problem, launching a fully integrated, fibre-based transit system that replaces polystyrene inserts, bubble wrap and foam cushioning.

Europe’s only manufacturer producing both corrugated and moulded fibre packaging under one roof has developed a system combining a corrugated outer with a moulded fibre fitment.

The components are designed together to absorb the high-vibration stresses of last-mile eCommerce delivery, reducing breakages and protecting reviews while eliminating plastic.

Jo Markwick, Chief Commercial Officer, Cullen says: “Candle brands have been able to move their outer packaging to sustainable materials for years, but the internal protection has remained the ‘unsolvable’ piece of the puzzle.

“Because we manufacture both components in-house, using our own proprietary moulded fibre machinery for the fitment, we’ve eliminated the ‘rattle-room’ found when sourcing from separate suppliers.

“The result is a seamless interface that protects fragile glass without a single gram of plastic. We produce over one billion plastic-free moulded fibre products from our Glasgow facility every two years.

“Because everything is made here in the UK, our customers have the price, scale and reliability they need regardless of what is happening in global supply chains.”

A 100% recyclable solution
By combining waste from corrugated production into the fibre fitments, Cullen maximises material efficiency and provides a single-material, 100% recyclable solutionsuitable for standard candle jar sizes or customised dimensions.

The launch is timely for UK brands preparing for the 2026 Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) changes.

The shift to modulated fees under the red-amber-green system favours mono-material paper packaging, which attracts significantly lower fees than mixed-material alternatives, while hard-to-recycle plastic packaging faces surcharges.

Current base fees charge £196 (US$260) per tonne for paper versus £423 (US$560) per tonne for plastic, according to GOV.UK and PackUK data.

Switching to an all-fibre system also simplifies operations. Brands can remove the administrative burden of reporting multiple material streams and de-risk their supply chains against future plastic surcharges.

All tooling and production are completed in Glasgow, including Cullen’s in-house designed moulded fibre machinery, giving brands insulation from overseas supply disruptions.

Market data shows the opportunity is growing. The UK candle market is valued at £550m with projections of nearly £900m (US$1.19bn) by 2030, driven by premium container candles.

Container-based candles account for 57.6% of the market, a segment heavily reliant on high-performance transit packaging.

Cullen already serves customers in 35 countries and offers a fully recyclable system compatible with standard household paper waste collections.

Jo says the integrated approach closes what Cullen calls the ‘protection gap’, a longstanding challenge in the home fragrance sector where outer packaging is sustainable but internal cushioning remains plastic.

Supply chain resilience and simplicity
“We produce everything in the UK,” she says, “which means our customers get reliability, quality and scale without depending on overseas suppliers.”

Following multi-million-pound investments in automated chemistry controls and wet-pressing upgrades, Cullen is positioned as a strategic partner for brands aiming to eliminate plastic and future-proof their packaging against evolving EPR legislation.

Its proprietary moulded fibre machinery gives it full control over performance and quality, a capability that external tooling cannot match.

By integrating corrugated and moulded fibre manufacturing under one roof and creating a fully recyclable transit system, Cullen has delivered a solution that combines supply chain resilience, operational simplicity and environmental benefits.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Rob McDonald .