4 May 2026: Corrugate and moulded fibre manufacturer Cullen Sustainable Packaging has invested £5m in expanding its Glasgow manufacturing operations.

Currently producing around half a billion products annually, the business is targeting a doubling of output through continued investment in capacity and expansion into new markets.

Maureen Stevenson, head of marketing, Cullen Sustainable Packaging, said order volumes are increasing across its core markets, while EPR regulations are reshaping the economics of plastic packaging.

The latest in the investment programme is the launch of Cullen’s new Moulded Fibre Machine 8000, a proprietary production line designed and built entirely in-house by the company’s own engineering team.

Brought online after six months of development, the machine ramped up rapidly following launch, reflecting both the pace of demand and the role of new capacity in supporting Cullen’s growth trajectory.

The business says it operates a closed loop recycling system, processing over 8,000 tonnes of its own corrugate waste annually and feeding it directly back into moulded fibre production, embedding circularity into the manufacturing process itself.

The investment has also created new jobs at the Glasgow facility, adding to a workforce that has grown alongside the business over the past decade. Machine 8000 is part of a wider £2m infrastructure upgrade programme that includes improvements to existing production lines and the installation of a new Kasemake X5 corrugate sample table.

The expansion comes as EPR regulations reshape the economics of packaging across the UK, accelerating the shift away from plastic and driving brands to seek reliable domestic alternatives at pace.

Stevenson said Cullen is seeing record growth in key categories including food and drink, medical, industrial, and ecommerce, and is experiencing significant early traction in markets it has recently entered.

In home fragrance, where brands are actively seeking plastic-free alternatives for candles, diffusers, and related products, enquiries and order volumes have grown sharply since the category was opened.

“This investment is a response to real, sustained demand from our customers,” said Stevenson: “The new machine ramped up quickly following launch, and we are already planning the next phase of expansion. That is what growth-led investment looks like in practice, not speculation, but response.”