Finnish forest companies have reason to be proud of the long-term development of the industry's products and production methods, which is still visible on store shelves today. The same amount of wood can now be used to produce twice as many liquid packaging as 50 years ago. This development has been accelerated by sustainable and high-quality Nordic wood, which provides a lot of usable raw material.
“We don’t just sell packaging tonnes to our customers, we also sell packaging area. For example, Stora Enso’s Folding Box Board can offer the same performance as American SBS board with 20 percent less wood,” explains the head of Stora Enso’s Packaging Materials division. Hannu Kasurinen.
Stora Enso has invested significantly in streamlining production processes, improving material efficiency and developing new methods for utilising wood fibres. In addition, investments have been made in new technologies, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, which can be used to optimise processes and improve predictability and quality.
"In the forest industry, the use of cubic meters of wood needs to be made more efficient. We are guided in that direction by responsibility aspects, the high price of wood raw materials, forest protection requirements, and the wood shortage that has worsened as a result of Russia's war of aggression," Kasurinen estimates.
Advanced solutions and environmentally conscious development work
Stora Enso has several innovative products that are more ecological and material-efficient than traditional solutions. For example, the company's wood-based biocomposites have succeeded in replacing fossil-based packaging materials for cosmetics and food products, among others. New and radical product innovations are currently being developed, although the focus is on improving existing products.
A good example is the thinnest polymer coating on the market, which enables the production of paper cups with less than five percent plastic. This helps packaging manufacturers and brand owners reduce plastic use. This technology is currently used to produce UltraThinPE coatings on Stora Enso’s Cupforma product line of cup boards.
“For a long time, the status quo prevailed in the market for paper cups, until the recycling requirements set by the EU encouraged us to look for new ways to reduce plastic. In this case, regulatory pressure was one of the drivers for the development of the product and its manufacturing process,” says Kasurinen.
There is also room for improvement in barrier solutions for liquid packaging, for example, where reducing the amount of plastic and aluminum used can promote the recycling and reuse of wood fibers in the packaging.
Challenges and opportunities for major change
Applying the “less is more” approach in the forest industry is not without its challenges. It requires a new way of thinking and cooperation between different actors. Sometimes, bringing new products and materials to the market can also be slow and requires a lot of work.
Despite the challenges, the “more from less” approach has great potential. It can help the forest industry improve its competitiveness, meet sustainability challenges, and create new business opportunities.
"In the future, it is possible that recycled packaging fiber will be collected and processed in Central Europe, which will end up in Finland after being cleaned and used in beverage and food packaging. Of course, this will require major technological leaps and the building of an entire recycling ecosystem," envisions Kasurinen.
Collaboration between Stora Enso and forest industry equipment manufacturers is key to this development. Technical challenges are being solved together, including replacing the aluminum and plastic layers in aseptic liquid packaging with fiber film.
“Many collaboration projects have emerged in the forestry sector. For example, a fiber alternative is being sought for plastic screw caps for milk cans, which is not our core competence. To develop it, we have acquired external expertise from a start-up company. You don't have to do everything yourself,” sums up Kasurinen.
