Metsä Group's Muoto™ products enable the replacement of plastic in more demanding applications, such as food packaging.
“We have developed a competitive product and production concept for Muoto packaging that meets the growing demand for fossil-free packaging solutions and supports Metsä’s goals of developing new packaging innovations in cooperation with packaging companies,” says the CEO of innovation company Metsä Spring. Niklas von Weymarn.
Muoto products are manufactured directly from wet wood pulp without intermediate steps. Muoto combines rigidity, functionality and lightness, making it suitable for demanding catering and food packaging, among other things.
“There is a strong trend in the market to find alternatives to plastic in certain product groups, which opens up a significant niche for the Muoto business. Muoto products also meet the strict requirements of the recent EU regulation on packaging and packaging waste. The legislation is expected to strengthen the product's chances of success,” says von Weymarn.
There will be no investment in the Kuura textile fiber factory.
Other development projects, such as the promotion of lignin products and carbon dioxide capture, will continue as planned, but the conditions for the Kuura textile fiber project are estimated to have changed due to the changed market situation.
In the target market for Kuura textile fiber, i.e. wood-based textile fibers, a significant global overproduction has arisen in a short time, which has weakened the competitiveness of high-quality and responsible fibers. The biggest change has occurred in Asia, where significant new capacity has been created in recent years. There are currently not enough customers who are willing to pay a premium for responsibly produced materials.
Due to market changes, the investment in the Kuura textile fiber factory in Kemi will not be implemented. The Kuura project is not considered to have the conditions to continue in its current form. However, the expertise developed in textile fibers is valuable and the company is exploring options for utilizing it.
