SPRING 2021

METSÄ BOARD PROFESSIONAL MAGAZINE

Materials at the heart of circularity

Next normal of packaging

A revolution that began at the Kemi mill

CIRCULAR PACKAGING

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Circular economy When it comes to , and board packaging Theme: EVERYTHING is outstanding, with a recycling rate of 83% in Europe. MUST FLOW Source: Eurostat What does the circular economy mean for the future of packaging? page 16

SHORTS 28 New 3D fibre under development. Corrugated berry packaging. Sustainable textile fibre. The ExpandFibre Programme. Metsä Board’s investment plans. Comparing single-use and reusable tableware. Metsä Board on CDP’s A Lists. page 4

SUSTAINABLE SUSTAINABLE INVESTING IN SOLUTIONS SOLUTIONS FUTURE

Unilever promotes Metsä Board is an New bioproduct mill forest-based innovation partner. in Kemi. materials in pursuit page 11 page 12 of . Investing in sustainable growth page 8 Demand for is growing globally, In addition to the investments in paper- 32 and the trends favouring fossil free packaging board, we are continuing our innovation colla- ENVIRONMENT materials are further accelerating growth. We boration with our customers and partners at Nordic forests are in a good position to respond to this demand our Excellence Centre. This collaboration and are thriving. and to grow sustainably with our customers. our virtual workshops bring together global page 22 With the Kemi investment, we will strengt- design perspectives and technical expertise to hen our position in white-top kraftliners, and co-create innovative packaging solutions for the planned capacity extension in Husum in our customers worldwide. I’ve been impres- SERVICES Sweden will do the same on the folding - sed to see the success you can achieve through How can we help board side. The Kemi bioproduct mill project virtual cooperation and advance joint inno- with our services? page 26 and the Husum pulp mill renewal are both vation also at a time when physical meetings good news. With our own modern pulp mills, are not possible. we will be in an excellent position to develop Throughout this exciting journey, we aim

NEXT NORMAL NEXT NORMAL BRAND our paperboard business in the longer term. to leverage our in-depth knowledge of fibres PACKAGING PACKAGING DEVELOPMENT The investments are also an important step and fibre-based packaging and the benefits towards our 2030 sustainability targets. Effe- of using pure, safe and sustainable northern McKinsey is Van Genechten Pharma seeing new normal Packaging is turning packaging – what’s ctive actions are needed to mitigate climate wood fibre material. Read more about these in packaging. sustainability into on the horizon? change, and we want to lead the way to fossil topics in this issue. page 28 reality. page 32 free production. This will mean further op- page 30 portunities for our customers to decrease the Mika Joukio carbon footprint of their packaging. CLOSE UP THE ART OF FACTS & FIGURES OF A DESIGNER PACKAGING Product portfolio Designer Andrew Metsä Board’s demo and Metsä Board in METSÄ BOARD MAGAZINE | SPRING ISSUE 2021 | [email protected] | ISSN 2323-5500 | PUBLISHER METSÄ BOARD COMMUNICATIONS, Gibbs creates brochure is pushing numbers. P.O. BOX 00, FI-02020 METSÄ, FINLAND | WWW.METSABOARD.COM | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MARJO HALONEN, VICE PRESIDENT, COMMUNICATIONS | MANAGING packaging to last. the boundaries. page 39 EDITOR ANNA-KAISA KONTINAHO | EDITORIAL BOARD MARJO HALONEN, ANNA-KAISA KONTINAHO AND RITVA MÖNKÄRE | PRODUCTION AND HUBE HELSINKI OY | COVER 3D RENDERING FUTUPACK | PRINT MARKPRINT OY | THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THIS PUBLICATION ARE NOT 36 page 34 page 36 NECESSARILY THOSE OF METSÄ BOARD. | ADDRESS SOURCE METSÄ BOARD’S CUSTOMER AND STAKEHOLDER REGISTER. IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO RECEIVE THIS PUBLICATION IN THE FUTURE, PLEASE SEND AN E-MAIL TO [email protected].

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Texts: Miia Esa Photos: Metsä Board, Andrew Taylor 1 ––

1 –– NEW CORRUGATED BERRY PACKAGING COMPLEMENTS PREMIUM STRAWBERRIES WITH TOP-QUALITY PRINT A new 3D fibre With their partner network, Metsä Board and DS Smith have innovated a modern and product to meet top-quality berry box. The packaging is printed using process colour and Full HD technology, high demand which has reduced ink consumption while enabling exceptionally high image quality and bright colours. A photo-based multicolour Metsä Group’s innovation company Metsä Spring print was printed on the corrugated board. has begun the construction of the new pilot plant in “This process was extremely demanding, and required a high-quality coated white Äänekoski, Finland. The technology applied in the kraftliner,” says Ville Laiho from DS Smith, pilot plant will convert wet wood pulp into ready­ the packaging producer. to ­use 3D fibre products without any intermediate The final result is sustainable and safe steps. packaging which adds value to sales “The technology opens up new possibilities for de­ recognition and helps branding go further. veloping a competitive production process and new innovations to replace plastic in a variety of packag­ Facts about the product: ing solutions. We use sustainably produced wood fi­ Material: EB-flute corrugated board using bre as our main raw material and strive to process it MetsäBoard Pro WKL 175 g/m² (36 lbs/1000 ft2) as topliner into first­class packages,” says Jarkko Tuominen, Converter: DS Smith Project Lead at Metsä Spring. Repro: Marvaco The pilot plant, scheduled to start operations Design: Futupack in late 2021, will be built in cooperation with Valmet, a Finnish developer and supplier of technologies.

2 –– SUSTAINABLE TEXTILE FIBRE? YES PLEASE!

The textile fibre demo plant in Äänekoski, Finland, has produced the first test batches of the new material. The textile fibre is made from Metsä Group’s paper-grade pulp, using a novel and environmentally friendly produc- tion process. The demo plant is owned and operated by MI Demo, a joint venture between Metsä Spring, Metsä Group’s innovation company, and Itochu Corporation. “Reaching this stage of the investment project is a significant milestone within the overall demonstra- tion project,” says Niklas von Weymarn, CEO of Metsä Spring and Chairman of the Board of MI Demo. The test and development phase began in late 2020 and is expected to last about two years. Based on the Could a chocolate box look like outcome, Metsä Group will consider investing in a com- this? This is a demo sample of –– 2 mercial mill. 3D fibre packaging.

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Texts: Miia Esa Photos: Mikko Tikka / Fotonokka, Metsä Board, Lina Jelanski / Duotone METSÄ BOARD PLANS INVESTMENTS AT HUSUM MILL

Metsä Board has started pre-engineering for increasing the annual production capacity of folding boxboard machine BM1 at the Husum mill in Sweden by approximately 200,000 tonnes. The final investment decision is subject to the results of the pre-engineering phase. The readiness to make the final investment decision Exploring new is expected to be achieved in the summer of 2021 and the ramp-up of the additional capac- ity would start in 2023. opportunities for The renewal of the Husum pulp mill is pro- gressing. The first phase, with an investment using pulp fibre value of EUR 320 million, includes a new recov- ery boiler and turbine and is an important step towards fossil free production. Could pulp be used more diversely in packaging? ExpandFibre, the In January, Metsä Board concluded the sale 1 joint EUR 50 million R&D collaboration and ecosystem launched by of 30 per cent of the Husum pulp mill to Norra 1 –– NEW STUDY COMPARES SINGLE- Metsä Group and Fortum, aims to answer questions like this. The goal Skog, a Swedish forest owners’ cooperative. The deal further strengthens Husum’s availability USE FIBRE-BASED PACKAGING WITH REUSABLE TABLEWARE of the next four years is to develop new technologies and business of local certified wood and releases capital for concepts that help produce new bioproducts using pulp derived from growth in paperboard. straw and wood. “At the time of closing of the transaction A study published by the European Paper Pack- aging Association (EPPA) reveals that single-use In particular, and the grease and moisture resist­ Metsä Board is practically a net debt-free company. This provides an excellent platform fibre-based food and drink packaging used in ance of packaging – the barrier solutions – are possible end­use areas. to grow our core business – sustainable and European quick service restaurants provides sig- Metsä Board is leading the development of new pulp­based packag­ high-quality fresh fibre paperboard,” says CEO nificant key environmental advantages compared ing solutions with Metsä Group’s innovation company Metsä Spring. Mika Joukio. with reusable tableware. The programme aims to build a global innovation ecosystem. The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was carried out by Ramboll, the independent Danish consultants “This is a new way of collaborating in a network. The ecosystem cur­ to the European Commission, and certified by TÜV. rently includes 35 partners,” says Katariina Kemppainen, Investment According to the study, reusable tableware gen-

Manager at Metsä Spring and Programme Manager of ExpandFibre. erated 177 per cent more CO2 emissions than the We welcome our packaging partners to join the ExpandFibre eco­ paper-based single-use system and consumed 267 per cent more fresh water. system! “The study provides science-based evidence on how single-use paperboard products can reduce

CO2 emissions and the use of ever-decreasing water resources,” says Risto Auero, Metsä Boards’ Sales Director of food service boards and repre- sentative to the EPPA. Read more on EPPA’s web site www.eppa-eu.org.

2 –– METSÄ BOARD SCORED AGAIN ON CDP’S A LISTS

Metsä Board has again achieved a place on CDP’s Climate A and Water A lists. CDP is a non-profit global environmental data reporting system that aims to get companies and governments to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, and secure water –– 2 resources and forests. In addition, Metsä Board is also included on the 2020 CDP Supplier Engagement Leaderboard. The company has been on the “A List” in CDP’s Climate programme since 2016. “Our ambitious target is to have 100 per cent fossil free mills by 2030, and the ‘A List’ positions are a recognition of our systematic work to achieve these aims,” says Mika Joukio, CEO.

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Sustainable solutions

Unilever strives for sustainable packaging

More ecological packaging is in the minds of many corporate front runners right now – but how do you ensure that your products utilize sustainable packaging solutions at all times?

Sami Anteroinen, photos: Unilever, Marika Lindström

ne of the pioneers in the field is Unilever, a global mar- from certified sustainably managed forests or were made from ket leader in various sectors and the owner of several recycled fibre. Oworld-class brands such as Dove, Pepsodent and Rex- For Unilever, sourcing paper and board packaging in a sus- ona. Marika Lindström, Procurement VP, Packaging and Beau- tainable manner supports its commitment to zero net deforesta- ty & Personal Care at Unilever, says that the company has both tion. At the same time, these green methods strengthen the sup- paper and board as well as plastics related sustainability targets. ply chain and help build trust among consumers. “We want to have a deforestation-free supply chain for wood- When it comes to the eminent rise of fibre-based packaging, based packaging by 2023. For plastics, we want an overall plastic Unilever sees the role of fibre-based packaging increasing in the reduction of 100 kilotonnes by 2025, 50 per cent virgin plastic re- future as the company keeps reducing plastic. “Fibre-based ma- duction, 100 per cent recyclability and 25 per cent post-consum- terials have good recyclability and recycling infrastructure. We er recycling inclusion by 2025,” she says. Post-consumer recy- need to ensure a full chain of custody and transparency in the cled content (PCR) refers to material that is made from the items supply chain to make sure that we are deforestation-free,” Lind- that consumers recycle every day, such as aluminium, cardboard ström says. , paper, and plastic . “At present, we use both virgin and recycled fibres in our cate- According to Lindström, the issues related to packaging are gories, depending on the product that the packaging is for. Both vital in many respects. are equally important.” “Packaging is critical to protect the product, to make the prod- uct appealing and convenient for consumers, and to help deliv- Less plastic, better plastic, no plastic er brand purpose,” she lists. Running parallel to the fibre-based approach, Unilever is en- gaged in carrying out its “Less plastic. Better plastic. No plastic.” The future is fibre-based internal framework. Implemented in 2017, the framework out- Unilever sources its paper and board packaging from around lines the company’s approach to how it will achieve its set sus- The innovative Vegetarian Butcher series is packed in MetsäBoard Prime FBB EB 300 suppliers. In 2019, 97 per cent of the directly purchased pa- tainability targets, thus guiding Unilever innovation ever more 265 g/m2 (17.9 pt). The eco-barrier board per and board packaging materials used by the company came into sustainability. helps reduce plastic in the packaging.

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PIVOTING FROM PLASTIC

By 2025, Unilever wants to: • Halve the amount of virgin plastic it uses in its pack- aging, delivering an absolute reduction of more than 100,000 tonnes in plastic use. • Help collect and process more plastic packaging than it sells. • Ensure that 100% of its plastic packaging is designed to be fully reusa- ble, recyclable or composta- ble. • Increase the use of post-consumer recycled plastic material in its pack- aging to at least 25%.

Lipton is an example of the cooperation between Unilever and Metsä Board. The company's world-famous brands can also be seen in Singapore, where Marika Lindström is based.

Here’s the breakdown: “Less plastic” is about cutting down the Metsä Board is a long-term supplier to Unilever, with the in- amount of plastic Unilever uses in the first place. “Better plastic” dustry’s most ambitious sustainability target setting of 100 per is about making the products recyclable and eliminating prob- cent fossil free mills by 2030. While possessing industry leading lematic materials. And, ultimately, “no plastic” is about think- ratings in CDP and Ecovadis as well as SBTi targets, Metsä Board ing differently – using alternative materials such as board, pa- has set sustainability leadership as a strategic target, clearly shar- per, aluminium and where possible and removing plastic ing Unilever’s goals to be among the most responsible global ac- where it is not necessary. tors in mitigating climate change. “Plastic is still a valuable material for us, and it will be used Lindström assesses that Metsä Board’s sustainability drive where appropriate. Having said that, we are exploring the use of matches Unilever’s mindset very well. alternate materials in some categories like refreshments, while en- “For example we’ve had great success with Metsä Board with suring affordability of packaging in each market,” Lindström says. the packaging of the Vegetarian Butcher brand. Using new coat- ing technology, the packaging has been made more sustaina- Shared mindset, common goals ble,” she says. While Unilever is tackling these packaging materials challenges, it is not doing it all alone. Unilever relies on its wide network of Butcher boost suppliers to be sustainable also and to pursue low carbon prac- The material used in the Vegetarian Butcher is MetsäBoard Prime tices. After all, making the circular economy a reality requires FBB EB, a fibre-based eco-barrier alternative to replace plastic/ massive global cooperation. fossil-based materials in many end uses. In essence, it’s a bar- “We expect our suppliers to drive towards a similar aspira- rier board that can be collected and recycled in standard paper tion to Unilever in the journey towards the circular economy, and paperboard waste streams and is also home compostable. both in fibre- and plastic-based packaging materials,” confirms “Similarly, in Knorr bouillon cube packaging, great steps have been Lindström. taken to make the packaging more sustainable,” Lindström says. •

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Sustainable solutions

Ari Kiviranta SVP of Development at Metsä Board

“We are an innovation partner”

Minimising the environmental impact of operations is an integral part of Metsä Board’s way of working. Ari Kiviranta, Metsä Board’s Senior Vice President of Development, explains how this is reflected in practice.

WHAT IS THE ROLE OF HOW DO YOU SEE WHAT ARE THE KEY ACTIONS COLLABORATION THE POSSIBILITIES OF IN ACHIEVING METSÄ BOARD’S IN YOUR DEVELOPMENT REDUCING THE USE OF AMBITIOUS 2030 FOSSIL FREE WO R K? PLASTIC? MILLS TARGET?

“In partnership with other Metsä “The amount of plastic used can be reduced by “We have a clear roadmap and Group companies, we can develop using materials sensibly and avoiding exces- investment plans for how to get new innovative bio-based mate- sive packaging. Although plastic can already there. An important part of the rials providing alternatives to be replaced with paperboard, there are a lot of plan is the renewal of the Husum plastics in various end uses. A products where this is more challenging. The pulp mill in Sweden. good example of the longer-term main challenge lies in plastic’s barrier prop- Our target for fossil free mills development work are the 3D erties – for example, its resistance to mois- by 2030 includes both emissions fibre products being developed by ture – because these need to be added to the from the company’s own energy Metsä Group’s innovation company, paperboard separately. However, fibre-based production and emissions from Metsä Spring. The aim is to develop products with good barrier solutions can be purchased energy. Currently, 82 a competitive and environmentally used to replace plastic in an environmentally per cent of the energy used by our friendly new packaging solution in friendly manner for an increasing number of mills is generated from fossil free a pilot plant that is ready to start purposes. sources. its operations in late 2021. You can We have been piloting barrier solutions The development programme read more about this on page 4. for a long time. As a result, we have a light- launched at our Kemi paperboard Our strengths include proactive weight bio-degradable eco-barrier paper- mill is also a significant step collaboration with machine equip- board, MetsäBoard Prime FBB EB, which can towards our sustainability targets ment manufacturers and chemical be recycled along with paper or paperboard. for 2030. It will reduce the mill’s manufacturers. We strive to be our MetsäBoard Prime FBB EB provides medi- water consumption rate per tonne suppliers’ innovation partner, with um-strength protection against moisture and of paperboard produced by around whom they can develop and trial grease, making it particularly suitable for food 40 per cent, and energy consump- new solutions. and food service packaging. tion by around five per cent.” We are happy to involve our We will continue our barrier board develop- customers in longer-term devel- ment in several areas.” opment projects at an early stage, for example, in the development of new packaging materials.”

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EUR 1.6 billion investment value etsä Group is to build a new state-of-the-art bio- product mill in Kemi in Northern Finland, to be Investing in a Mcompleted in 2023. The Kemi bioproduct mill will produce some 1.5 mil- 1.5 lion tonnes of softwood and hardwood pulp per year, as sustainable future well as many other bioproducts. A significant proportion million tonnes of the pulp is processed into high-quality white-top kraft- liner at Metsä Board’s mill at the integrated site. Metsä Group’s new bioproduct mill in Kemi is the largest investment of pulp / year ever made by the Finnish forest industry in Finland. In this connection, Steps towards 100 per cent fossil free mills Metsä Board has decided to invest in increasing the capacity of its Kemi The investment will play a significant role in Metsä Group’s % journey to fossil free production. white-top kraftliner mill to continue sustainable growth. 250 The new mill is based on Metsä’s unique bioprod- electricity self-sufficiency uct mill concept, the core of which is the resource-wise use Metsä Board & Charlie Bass / TenFour, photos: Metsä Group of the wood raw material and production side streams. In the concept, the renewable wood raw material and pro- duction side streams are used in full as different bioprod- 0% ucts, replacing fossil-based materials and fossil fuels. The first completely new mill using the concept is the Ääne- fossil fuels koski bioproduct mill, which was started in 2017. The planning of the bioproduct mill is based on a high degree of environmental, material and energy efficiency. Despite the significantly increased production compared with the current Kemi pulp mill, the new bioproduct mill will stay below the emission limits of the existing mill’s current environmental permit. The bioproduct mill will not use any fossil fuels.

Increasing capacity with lower environmental impacts Together with Metsä Board’s white-top kraftliner mill, Metsä Group’s new bioproduct mill will form a world- class integrated mill site in Kemi. The site offers a highly efficient and sustainable platform for expanding produc- tion of white-top kraftliners to meet the growing demand. Metsä Board’s development programme will increase Kemi mill’s annual white-top kraftliner capacity by ap- proximately 40,000 tonnes. It will include a series of mod- ernisation and bottleneck investments in the board pro- duction line. The development programme, worth EUR 67 million, is a significant step towards Metsä Board’s 2030 sustainability targets. It will reduce the Kemi white kraftliner mill’s water consumption by about 40 per cent and energy consump- tion by about 5 per cent per tonne of kraftliner produced. “This will also support customers’ sustainable business. We will offer our customers more capacity with a low- er environmental impact and high resource efficiency,” says Veijo Korkalainen, VP Sales, White Kraftliners at Metsä Board.

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Veijo Korkalainen Pertti Kaasalainen VP Sales, White Kraftliners Former Technical Customer at Metsä Board Service Manager at Metsä Board

Strengthening global leadership Sustainable and high-quality corrugated packaging will A revolution that began play an ever-greater role in the growing market for re- tail-ready, consumer and e-commerce packaging. “The demand for premium white kraftliners is driven at the Kemi mill by the growing needs of retail and brand promotion ac- tivities in e-commerce,” says Korkalainen. Ever wondered what the secret is behind the bold, bright and beautiful designs on Corrugated and printers worldwide recog- the box for the new TV or laptop you’ve just bought, or the eye-catching vegetable nise Kemi’s white-top kraftliners for their quality and con- boxes and store displays at your local supermarket? The answer is coated white-top sistency. Kraftliner production started at Kemi 50 years kraftliner, a material that changed the corrugated packaging market for good after ago, in 1971. In 1990, the company upgraded its process- its introduction in the early 90s. ing and invested in a unit, with production of coat- ed white-top kraftliner starting the same year. “We’ve had a clear development focus in our products – a focus on premium quality and specialising in the most When they were first introduced, it’s no exaggera- demanding products. This is also visible today in the un- tion to say that coated white-top kraftliners sparked compromising quality culture at our mills,” Korkalain- a revolution in the world of corrugated paperboard en concludes. and packaging. While its main job has always been Today, Metsä Board is Europe’s leading producer of to protect what’s inside, modern packaging plays white kraftliners and the world leader in coated white another equally important role – showcasing a kraftliners. This investment will be built on for the next brand’s image and acting as an eye-catching sales 50 successful years of the Kemi mill. • tool. And this is where coated liners really come into their own. “Back in the 70s, corrugated board was basically used to make big brown boxes to transport things in, because they were robust and sturdy,” says Pertti Kaasalainen, former Technical Customer Service Manager at Metsä Board. Kaasalainen, or “Mr Corrugated” as he was known – more steam, more heat, more glue – but with to his clients, saw first-hand how visual appeal be- coated liners, the opposite is what’s needed,” says

GOOD NEWS ON LONGSTANDING MUCH-NEEDED came as important as robustness in the packaging Kaasalainen. MANY LEVELS COOPERATION EXTRA CAPACITY world. The introduction of coated liners heralded a “More and more brand owners started to look for change in the industry’s philosophy. Adara Pakkaus Oy is a Finnish CartonajesLONGSTANDING Santorromán is a fami- Atlantic Packaging Products materials that would allow them to create glossy, “The liner produced at Kemi was the first of COOPERATION company that manufactures cor- ly-owned company with a long history provides sustainable packaging attractive designs with excellent results, its kind on the market. In my opinion, it was the rugated cardboard and packaging of 110 years and longstanding cooper- solutions and co-packing ser- which is exactly what coated kraftliner delivers.” start of a worldwide revolution in corrugating,” made of corrugated board. Jere ation with the Kemi mill. CEO Leopoldo vices. The company designs, man- Consumer appeal was the main driving force be- Kaasalainen says. Alaruka, Financial Director at Santorromán sees Kemi’s investment as ufactures and delivers innovative Adara Pakkaus OY, welcomes the important to supporting productivity and corrugated packaging products to hind the adoption of coated kraftliners, but they “With these liners, moving from a hotter to a news. availability. customers across North America. also brought another change to the market – no- colder setup means producers get the best results “The news is not only good for “In the next fifty years, paperboard will Michele Galway, Operations table opportunities for saving heat and energy in from the materials they’re running and improve us as a customer, but this is also be the main packaging material, as it Manager at the Pre-print Division the corrugating process. Coated liners can be run their energy efficiency at the same time. It’s a true very positive for the Finnish forest has been to date. I’m sure that Metsä will of Atlantic, sees the investment owners and the national economy continue to be there, sharing that future, news as very positive for the cooler and minimise preheating. This “less is more” win-win,” he concludes. in general,” says Alaruka. given its innovation, quality and service, a industry. philosophy plays a crucial role in reaping the bene- Ongoing investments in the Kemi mill will even- sign of its ability to adapt to the normal “Exciting news! Much-needed fits of coated liners, and it represented new think- tually help it to achieve completely fossil free op- evolution of industry and society,” says extra capacity! We look forward to ing at the time. It still does. erations and energy self-sufficiency, setting a new Santorromán. our continued partnership.” “There’s always a tendency when things don’t benchmark in the industry and driving further im- go right to add more rather than take things away provements in sustainability. •

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Theme

Everything Must Flow The circular economy is driven by major international brands as well as climate-conscious citizens – but what does this mean for the future of packaging?

Sami Anteroinen, 3D images: Futupack

he circular economy is quickly becoming the fo- cal point of sustainability. With limited planetary T resources, we have to be mindful of the products we produce and the way we produce them. Recognizing the need for change, the European Com- mission adopted a new Circular Economy Action Plan in 2020 to serve as one of the main blocks of the EU’s Green Deal agenda. The new Action Plan features initiatives along the entire life cycle of products, promoting circular economy pro- cesses, fostering sustainable consumption, and ensuring that the resources used are kept in the EU economy for as long as possible. In fact, the new Circular Economy Action Plan wants to make sustainable products the norm in the EU as well as cut down on waste. Under the Action Plan, the EU is fo- cusing on the sectors that use most resources and where the potential for circularity is high, such as electronics, bat- teries, packaging and plastics.

Finally in the same boat Maria Coronado Robles, Sustainability Insights Manager at Euromonitor, argues that the circular economy has been a central piece of the sustainability debate for some time – but what is happening now is that we are forging the link between circular economy and other global issues such as climate change and pollution.

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Theme Theme

When it comes to recycling, paper and board packaging is outstanding, with a recycling rate of 83 per cent in Europe.

Source: Eurostat “While some of these innovations provide opportu- nities to build loops, there is still a long road ahead to achieve a circular economy for packaging,” she says. “For the first time in history, the three biggest and Development at Metsä Board, comments that both That’s not to say that good things aren’t happening most polluting economies, the USA, China and the the high recycling rate and the biodegradability of all over. Under the watchful eye of consumers, busi- European Union are rowing in the same direction, paperboard packaging significantly reduce the lit- nesses have come up with a combination of solu- pledging to achieve carbon neutrality,” Coronado Ro- tering problem. tions, from launching to chang- bles says. However, compared to the product inside, the total ing packaging design and investing in new recycling Still, while energy efficiency, electric vehicles and climate effect of the package is actually very small. technologies expected to be more effective at captur- renewable energy are key pillars of the unified cli- “It is important to understand the entire value ing the value of . mate strategy, the “elephant in the room” continues chain of the product to optimise materials, design, Coronado Robles calls this a good start but points to be excessive consumption that fuels unsustaina- production, transport and reuse or recycling in or- out that if the world is to achieve circularity, we need ble growth. der to protect both the content, the people and the to change the whole system, turning the tide from “That problem needs to be looked at through the environment,” says Leskelä. volume consumption to value creation – and, ulti- lenses of circularity.” According to Leskelä, the recycling, reuse and re- mately, deleting the word “waste” from our vocab- duction of packaging will enable material savings ulary altogether. Still early in the game and innovation that will drive new resource-saving “Furthermore, we need to incentivise circular con- According to Coronado Robles, moving from a lin- production technologies. sumption and production, start designing long-last- ear to a circular world is not only a way to decou- “One example of this is the further lightweighting ing repairable products, building circular supply ple economic growth from the use of resources and of that we do at Metsä Board as well as chains and creating markets for secondary materials.” avoid unnecessary waste but is also a powerful tool circulating water and fibres effectively in the pro- to bring emissions down and fight climate change. duction processes,” says Leskelä, who expects to see Respect the material! She acknowledges, however, that we are still very ear- growth in fibre-based packaging both in recycled and Iiro Numminen, Structural Packaging Designer at ly in the journey, with most of the talk and action fo- fresh fibre material packaging. Metsä Board, is equally passionate about the circu- cusing on plastics and packaging. “This way, the sustainably managed circular loops lar economy. In his mind, it is crucial to respect the “This is just the tip of the iceberg. The circular econ- will enable the overall growth.” raw material by using it as little as necessary. Num- omy opens opportunities across all industries.” minen points out that even a small modification to Coronado Robles sees the circular economy as a Reinventing packaging package design can make a big difference when you great framework to re-configure businesses to sync The role of the packaging industry in seeking sus- are in a volume business. with nature and to allow planetary healing. tainability is certainly significant. For example, the “When you understand and master your material, “That’s the way forward for a sustainable and resilient Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimates that replac- you’re able to use it economically. This is the ethos of recovery. There is a huge potential for nature-based ing a fifth of plastic packaging with reusable/refilla- the designers in the packaging industry in the 2020s solutions in the circular economy,” she believes. ble options could open – at the very least – a USD 10 and beyond,” he believes. billion opportunity. According to Numminen, big brands have indeed Understand the entire value chain Maria Coronado Robles assesses that the packag- taken notice of the changing times and are setting When it comes to recycling, paper and board pack- ing industry is under “huge global scrutiny” and, in up programs to optimise their packaging processes aging is outstanding, with a recycling rate of 83 per response, companies are heavily investing in inno- in a sustainable way. There are also some low hang- cent in Europe. Markku Leskelä, VP, Research & vation to rethink their packaging. ing fruit left in the field, such as unnecessary plastic

Maria Coronado Robles Markku Leskelä Iiro Numminen Maria Smolander Sustainability Insights VP, Research & Development Structural Packaging Designer Research Team Leader Manager at Euromonitor at Metsä Board at Metsä Board at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland

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Theme

windows in paperboard packages sold online. lands to be leading the pack – but a country of mil- “If the customer is purchasing the item online, lions will never be the same type of gamechanger as what’s the point in a plastic window?” he asks. a country of billions. Ultimately, economies like Chi- Numminen knows that there are innovations – na and India hold the key to unlocking opportuni- such as bottles made out of paper – coming down ties on a large scale. the industry pipeline. “Material development re- quires constant work and we have to be mindful of Courage to trust the package lifespan at all times,” he says, adding that Iiro Numminen believes that as the big economies Metsä Board utilises a hi-tech simulation tool to ex- are learning the new, more sustainable ropes, and plore those green alternatives out there. corporations are adjusting their mindset, consum- “Via simulation, we’re able to optimize material con- ers also need to finetune their attitudes. For example, sumption. With design and material development, it during your supermarket visit, it’s ok to open an egg is possible to cut down on the use of plastics,” he says. to check if the eggs are undamaged. Couldn’t “For instance, we can use the simulation to deter- we do this when buying, say, cherry tomatoes? mine how the package holds up structurally with or “As an industry, we need to increase people’s trust without a plastic window.” that they’re getting their goods in prime condition – and then we need to live up to that promise.” Local + digital + sustainable Asking citizen-consumers to demonstrate courage In the final analysis, Maria Coronado Robles sees that in this manner may seem unusual, but then again, there are three powerful drivers for circular innova- every revolution needs its revolutionaries. • tion, related to local, digital and sustainability angles. SMART CODES AND TAGS “First of all, circular models benefit from local sup- TO SUPPORT RECYCLING ply chains. Proximity allows local synergies and po- “If the customer is Whatever the goal behind increasing recycling, tential partnerships and enables the creation of re- it typically relies on consumer awareness. verse ,” she says. purchasing the item “A QR code on a package could easily guide “Second, digital technologies offer the tools to map online, what’s the smartphone users to their local recycling out product journeys and capitalise on the residual instructions. Further, a smart solution iden- point in a plastic tifying packages and recycling value of those products.” could be used to encourage and maybe even And third, there’s of course sustainability – that’s to window?” reward consumers who recycle,” says Maria say sustainability infused with a new kind of mean- Smolander, Research Team Leader at VTT ing and determination. The purpose has become “the Iiro Numminen, Metsä Board Technical Research Centre of Finland. Rosetta stone of sustainability,” argues Coronado Ro- A conventional, passive QR code may be enough to guide recycling, but Smolander has bles. This means that, for a long time, we watched high hopes for active QR codes as well. When companies slightly stretch their inflexible business printed with active inks, codes can change models to make some room for sustainability – ba- along with temperatures and help brand sically, very limited action for very limited gain. owners and retailers control transportation conditions, whereas consumers can identify “What we didn’t know before is that business plas- the perfect temperature for consumption of ticity has no limits if the willingness is there. This the product. willingness is what we now call ‘purpose’ and it has Besides QR codes, Smolander and her become the new way of running companies in the colleagues develop flexible electronics, such as RFID and NFC tags even on fibre-based f utu re .” substrates. Feasible end-of-life-strategies are When it comes to countries embracing the circu- also currently under investigation. lar economy, Coronado Robles perceives the Nether-

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Environment

Together with forest owners, Metsä Group plants more than 30 million trees in Finnish forests every year. This is one way of ensuring that Finnish forests remain forests.

Heidi Hammarsten, photos: Sanna Lehto & Lina Jelanski / Duotone

Finland has a long pedigree in forest management, beginning in NORDIC 1886 with a law regulating forest use that prohibited deforesta- tion. Forests remain forests, because the Forest Act stipulates that new forests must always be established after regeneration felling. “We safeguard forests because of our cultural heritage and the environmental, recreational and economic value of forests,” says Vesa Junnikkala, Sustainability Director at Metsä Group’s Wood Supply and Forest Services. FORESTS In Finland, one of the world’s most heavily forested countries, almost 60 per cent of the forest is owned by private citizens. Everyman’s rights give everyone in Finland the freedom to en- joy forests for recreation, regardless of who owns them.

Increasing number and growth of trees in Finland ARE “In the northern coniferous forest zone of the Nordic countries, there is good forest management and wood production, and the vitality of the forests and carbon sequestration are also positive,” says Research Professor Jari Hynynen from Natural Resources Institute Finland. He cites some key figures to support this claim. “The volume and increment of growing stock in Finnish for- THRIVING ests have been increasing since the 1970s, with annual growth now close to 110 million cubic metres. Fifty years ago, it was less than 60 million cubic metres, even though felling volumes have also been increasing since then.” Most Finnish forests are dominated by coniferous tree species. In order to ensure the resilience of forests in a changing climate, we should increase the amount of mixed forests with more than one tree species growing in them. According to Hynynen, for- ests with only one tree species are more vulnerable to storm and insect damage, for example. Mixed cultivation increases forest biodiversity and improves the resilience of forests. Metsä Group offers forest owners a re- generation service of mixed cultivation of spruce and pine. In addition, deciduous trees such as birch spread to regeneration areas naturally.

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Environment

Janne Kurtti Forest Owner 75% 108 Mm3 13% 84% A FOREST OWNER IN A CHAIN OF GENERATIONS Forests cover about In 2019, the annual growth of Some 13 per cent of In Metsä Group’s fellings, 75 per cent of Finland’s land Finnish forests was 108 million Finland’s forest area is 84 per cent of forest owners Janne Kurtti and his sister own a area. This accounts for about cubic metres. The logging protected or in restricted choose to leave biodiversity 400-hectare forest in Taivalkoski, 10 per cent of Europe’s outturn in 2019 totalled 73 Northern Finland. Their parents had forested area. million cubic metres. gradually acquired this forest over the years. Kurtti is trained in forest Sources: Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Metsä Group management, and so he does for- estry work as a sideline. “We follow fairly traditional good forest management practices. We plant seedlings at some point after regeneration felling has been carried PEFC certification out. We leave buffer zones around water in fellings, as well as protec- covers about 85 per cent tive thickets for birds and animals during all forest operations,” Kurtti of Finland’s forests. says. “We gain a modest yet steady income stream from the forest,” Kurtti adds. “My sister and I want to Helping forests serve as carbon sinks diversity of forests. It is important for living or- take care of the forest for the next generation as well. For me, environ- Responsibly managed, vibrant forests sequester ganisms that there is living and dead wood of mental protection and economic carbon from the atmosphere and act as a car- different ages in the forest. Birds, fungi, lichen forest management go hand in bon sink. As a leading forest industry company, and insects are examples of organisms that rely hand.” Metsä Group has set the most ambitious 2030 on decaying wood. sustainability targets in the industry, which “Metsä Group has been actively developing include increasing the amount of carbon se- solutions to support forest biodiversity. For ex- DEFORESTATION NOT A questered in forests by 30 per cent compared ample, the amount of decaying wood in Finnish PROBLEM IN FINLAND to 2018 levels. forests needs to be increased. Metsä Group has According to a report from the Food “This can primarily be achieved through been leaving high biodiversity stumps in felled and Agriculture Organization, over high-quality forest regeneration and improved areas since 2016, and the number of high bio- the last thirty years, the planet’s management of young forests. As a young for- diversity stumps per hectare has recently dou- forested area has shrunk by around 180 million hectares. The problem is est is thinned, the remaining trees grow better bled,” says Vesa Junnikkala. especially acute in tropical rainfor- and stouter,” Junnikkala explains. The biodiversity stumps provide the forest ests. It currently takes about 15 years for a regen- with standing deciduous wood that is impor- However, the amount of forested eration-felled forest stand to become a carbon tant for many forest species. land has remained stable in Finland, and deforestation is not a problem. sink, but this can be accelerated by good for- The certification level of Finnish forests is On the contrary, forest reserves in est regeneration and using bred reforestation high. Two forest use certification systems are Finland are growing. material, which grows 20 to 30 per cent faster used in Finland: PEFC (Programme for the “A key reason for this is that than seeds gathered from forests. Forest own- Endorsement of Forest Certification) andFSC forests have an economic value. In many countries, competing forms of ers and Metsä Group plant more than 30 mil- (Forest Stewardship Council). PEFC certifica- land use contribute to deforestation, lion seedlings every year. tion covers about 85 per cent of Finland’s for- but in Finland, forest owners strive ests, and FSC certification less than 10 per cent. to manage their forests well,” says Forest biodiversity high on the agenda Sustainable forest management is important Vesa Junnikkala. In addition to carbon sequestration, another to Metsä Board’s customers, and forest certifi- key environmental goal is to increase the bio- cates enable them to ensure this. •

Vesa Junnikkala Jari Hynynen Sustainability Director Research Professor at Natural at Metsä Forest Resources Institute Finland

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Services Texts: Miia Esa OUR CO-CREATION WORKSHOP CONCEPTS Photos: Seppo Samuli & Hanne Manelius Make more informed decisions PERFORMANCE CLINIC CHALLENGE US EXPLORE THE FUTURE Metsä Board’s services help customers improve their packaging performance and reduce the environmental impact of packaging. A platform for innovation

Metsä Board’s Excellence Centre brings customers and designers Global megatrends set increasing safety, sustainability and per- Sustainability, product safety and forest certifications are also together to innovate and create new packaging and materials. The formance requirements for packaging. Metsä Board responds to topics that often require special knowledge. Sustainability ser- performance of the packaging throughout its life cycle can be studied. the constantly evolving needs with an enhanced service offering vices are currently experiencing high demand. that complements the extensive paperboard offering. “Brand owners and converters need considerably more infor- The services are not just add-ons, but rather initiatives for a mation and data than before. They need it for their packaging The demand for sustainable packaging, combined with increased consumption, is closer collaboration to increase customers’ competitiveness. development, target setting, reporting and communicating with creating a pressing need for more innovation. The packaging solutions of the fu- “Our services help us proactively respond to customer chal- consumers.” ture are being developed at Metsä Board’s Excellence Centre in Äänekoski, Central lenges and their perpetual need for improvement. While our “For example, we can support our customers’ sustainability Finland, which brings together expertise and technology related to packaging de- high-quality, lightweight paperboards will always be the core of targets for mitigating climate change. We can provide in-depth sign and product development, as well as paperboard and packaging performance. the solution, our expertise can also provide great value,” says Sari calculations and assistance in selecting paperboard materials “The Excellence Centre is our way of contributing to global packaging inno- Pajari-Sederholm, SVP of Sales and Marketing at Metsä Board. that reduce the overall carbon footprint of their packaging – or vation. At the same time, it’s a channel that provides a concrete way for our cus- Metsä Board has extensive expertise in the paperboard optimi- even suggest an improved design for the packaging to optimise tomers to make effective use of our expert services,” says Sari Pajari-Sederholm, sation of different types of converting processes. Technical ex- material use.” • SVP of Sales and Marketing at Metsä Board. pertise can help customers improve their productivity and use Workshops are a central part of the centre’s activities, where Metsä Board’s ex- the most suitable board for their requirements. perts work with customers to seek concrete solutions to various challenges. These O OT P R I N T M O N F D E L B O L I R N G challenges include developing new packaging or functionalities, creating the pack- CA aging materials of the future, and improving the performance of paperboard or

UPSTREAM packaging by minimising waste, for example. Virtual workshops enable collaborative development, even when working Forestry, production MATERIAL LIFE-CYCLE ANALYSES of raw materials and fuels, together face to face is impossible. generation of electricity According to Pajari-Sederholm, the Excellence Centre enables exten- A material Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is often sive collaboration between customers and partners like material and used to evaluate the overall environmental impacts of a product during its life cycle. The technology suppliers and universities. LCAs are based on prevailing ISO standards and “We can achieve better innovations when we look at things CORE up-to-date and relevant environmental infor- together from many different perspectives.” • mation from production processes, as well as on Transport of raw materials environmental impact datasets. to the mills, production processes The weight of the packaging and energy used (pulp & paperboard) and related in the material production process have major fuel combustion, as well as treat- impacts on a material’s carbon footprint. ment of generated waste Sari Pajari-Sederholm At its best, the carbon footprint of packaging SVP of Sales and Marketing made from Metsä Board’s fresh fibre paper- at Metsä Board board can be more than 50 per cent less than packaging of an equivalent stiffness made from DOWNSTREAM recycled fibre or solid bleached board. Product transport to the customer (optional) and end-of-life (optional)

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Next normal packaging Oskar Lingqvist Senior Partner at McKinsey New normal now seen in packaging

E-commerce sets the bar, but all packages must have a credible sustainability narrative and be designed with hygiene in mind.

Markku Rimpiläinen, illustration: Dan Matutina

n May 2019, McKinsey published a report on the forces shap- In addition, fresh fibre has its place in the market. “Fresh fibre ing the global packaging industry. The survey found five sig- solutions must have a perfect sustainability narrative based on re- I nificant trends: e-commerce, changing consumer preferenc- forestation and fossil free production. If producers can convince es, retail margin compression, sustainability, and digitalisation. the world that fresh fibre is also a good choice sustainability-wise, “All of these are still valid, but since COVID-19, their order of there is interesting room for fresh fibre-based packaging.” priority has changed,” says Oskar Lingqvist, Senior Partner in McKinsey’s Stockholm office. E-commerce opens up new possibilities “As expected, e-commerce and sustainability have grown to Growing e-commerce is an attractive playing field for convert- be even more important. Besides these five trends, a sixth ma- ers and newcomers. jor trend emerged: health concerns and the importance of hy- “We have never seen an e-commerce category decline. Once giene. All of a sudden, we saw old habits returning – fruit being it starts, it is just a question of how quickly it takes off. This wrapped in plastic because we needed better protection.” could mean that you trade off between the better profitabili- Based on recent developments, Lingqvist and his associates wrote ty of the old set-up with something that looks a little bit du- a new report called Beyond COVID-19: The next normal for packag- bious. But if you win in the new segment, that is an excellent ing design. This report stresses that the packaging industry must position later on.” address three major requirements: a good sustainability narrative, To succeed, one has to make the right strategic choices. design with hygiene in mind, and design for e-commerce. “Some large and mid-scale packaging players say their strat- egy is to go for growth. They need improvements in efficiency Ready for e-commerce and an excellent value chain to make money. For some compa- E-commerce affects all types of packaging. nies, focusing on premium niche products like the packaging of “The industry must produce packages that travel in one piece frozen foods delivered in e-commerce would be a good choice.” to end consumers. Primary and secondary packaging could al- most disappear,” says Lingqvist. Systemic change is coming The importance of sustainability is also growing. Significant challenges in the packaging industry may require a “In the years before COVID-19, the requirements for sustain- systemic change that re-arranges existing value chains. ability relaxed. Now, the importance of sustainability is return- “Relevant value chain collaboration is necessary. This is not go- ing. We even have indications that consumers are willing to pay ing to happen if retailers and packaging companies are on the more for sustainable packaging,” says Lingqvist. other side of the fence,” says Lingqvist. In the coming years, converters must navigate within mul- Fresh fibre has its place tiple challenges while balancing performance and cost-effec- From a recycling point of view, some old concepts must be aban- tiveness. MCKINSEY & COMPANY doned. “The thing you want to avoid is the use of multiple mate- “Winners will have to master more dimensions. They have to rials. Pure paper-based packages or 100 per cent recycled plas- be innovative in their go-to-market model. They must sell to cus- Founded in 1926, McKinsey & Company is an American worldwide management consulting tic solutions are turning out to be stronger options. But it is not tomers who are farther away from their region, and they have to firm. It has a branch for paper, forest products so easy to go to mono-material solutions. For some products, it market in different ways than they have done previously,” says and packaging industries. is a huge challenge,” says Lingqvist. Lingqvist.

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Next normal packaging Marc Büttgenbach Chief Commercial Officer at Van Genechten Packaging

Turning sustainability into reality

Big brand owners are putting a lot of pressure on the transformation from plastic to paper. The change is already visible in the market, says Marc Büttgenbach, Chief Commercial Officer of Van Genechten Packaging.

Markku Rimpiläinen, illustration: Dan Matutina

n the last six months, we have had more projects than ever be- Büttgenbach underlines the importance of close cooperation fore. Many packages will change. The results will be visible for between brand owners’ converters. I the consumers gradually during 2021,” estimates Marc Bütt- “With our deep material expertise, our goal is to make the genbach, CCO at Van Genechten Packaging. lives of our customers easier. We provide them with new ideas According to Pro Carton’s survey “European Packaging Pref- in design and functionality that focus especially on their specif- erences 2020”, consumers are increasingly looking for sustaina- ic market. We can provide our customers with new ideas in de- ble fibre-based solutions. sign and functionality, because we’re the specialist for the pack- Seventy per cent of consumers are actively taking steps to re- aging solution,” Büttgenbach says. duce their use of plastic packaging, the survey finds. Addition- First and foremost, converters must work on a customer-fo- ally, 44 per cent of respondents would be willing to spend more cused basis. on a product if it was packaged using sustainable materials. “Our aim is to understand what our customers need to achieve “Customers are basically interested in using 100 per cent their objectives and to advise them on general market trends fibre-based packaging solutions – even hybrid solutions con- and legal developments. We help them to do the right thing. Ul- taining 10 per cent or 5 per cent plastic are usually not accept- timately, we share the success when we’re selected by the con- ed,” Büttgenbach remarks. sumer because of the sustainable, functional, efficient, and of Packages made from fresh and recycled fibre complement each course, shelf-appealing features of the packaging reinforcing the other. “Fresh fibre is used when strength and resistance are need- product.” ed. Fibre can be reused six or seven times, but at the end of the day, you need fresh fibre, because recycled fibres get shorter and shorter in each recycling cycle until they are no longer usable,” Büttgenbach says.

VAN GENECHTEN PACKAGING (VGP) How fast can the industry change? For more than 180 years now, VGP has been an independ- Converters need to solve some technical challenges to meet the ent packaging company, with its headquarters in Turnhout, growing demand for sustainable packaging. Belgium. Its nine sites and one extrusion site “The big question is how fast we can change plastic-based pack- in seven countries generate an annual revenue of about ages into fibre-based ones. The fibre-based packaging must take 300 million euros and employ 1,600 people. The company is a leading provider of packaging in fast-moving European over the same functionalities as plastic. It isn’t a simple task – for consumer goods: printed folding , offset laminated example, if we are dealing with liquids or very sensitive prod- corrugated board, POS displays and a wide range of other ucts. We have to focus on innovative contributions, and we have packaging solutions. to proceed very fast.”

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Brand development

Jaakkoo-Taara AR Packaging Graz RATTPACK Finnish packaging converter Austria’s AR Packaging The RATTPACK Group spe- Jaakkoo-Taara is an ISO-certified Graz belongs to AR Pack- cialises in printing and pack- company with decades of experi- aging Group, which is one of aging for the pharmaceutical, ence in producing a diverse range Europe’s leading packaging cosmetics and food industries, of packaging solutions for the sector companies. The Group with five production sites in demanding and strictly regulated has 30 factories in 13 coun- Austria and Germany. Pharma packaging pharma industry. tries. – what’s on the horizon?

The pharmaceutical packaging market is WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY? “The keyword is constantly changing, with new demands CEO Thomas Brusila, Structural Design consistent quality.” set first and foremost to ensure consumer Jaakkoo-Taara: Mario Rassi, Matthias Ratt safety, not to forget efficiency and sustain- These issues are AR Packaging Graz: increasingly important Given the world’s stance ability. We posed three topical questions to for how packaging is on climate change, sus- designed and manu- tainability is omnipres- three converters. Here are their answers. factured. For example, ent in pharmaceutical using lighter-weight packaging. Pharma- Metsä Board, photo: Vesa Tyni board grades to make ceutical companies’ packages lighter or main goal is to improve more compact helps health. There’s a lack of reduce products’ car- consistency if they’re bon footprint. Yet the damaging the environ- primary function of ment at the same time. WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF MATERIAL pharma packaging is PURITY AND FRESH FIBRE? to protect what’s inside WHAT ARE TODAY’S SIGNIFICANT TRENDS and make the logistics CEO Matthias Ratt, IN PHARMA PACKAGING? CEO Thomas Brusila, Structural Design chain as efficient and RATTPACK: Jaakkoo-Taara: Mario Rassi, effective as possible. Packaging design, CEO Thomas Brusila, Structural Design It significantly impacts AR Packaging Graz: grammage reduction Jaakkoo-Taara: Mario Rassi, AR visual properties like The production of pri- and protecting the In recent years, we’ve Packaging Graz: whiteness and cleanli- mary packaging that is environment are our seen serialisation protec- ness. Less pure materi- in direct contact with daily bread. introduced to tackle tion, serialisation als can generate dust, pharmaceuticals is the health risk posed by and traceability are which can cause prob- particularly demanding, counterfeit and falsified still among the lems with the machinery requiring compliance medicines. With serial- significant chal- on packaging lines. As with high material purity isation, each saleable lenges we face when well as guarantee- quality standards. unit of a prescription packaging pharma- ing purity, packaging product can be tracked ceutical products. materials made from throughout the supply fresh fibre can also chain via its own unique bring greater strength serial number. at lower grammages, offering better runna- CEO Matthias Ratt, RATTPACK: bility.

Grammage reduction to improve the CO2 balance, even with fresh fibre paperboard. Using renewable CEO Matthias Ratt, RATTPACK: raw materials, recycled – or at least recyclable – From our perspective, fresh fibre paperboard is the material. Smart packaging, which includes track ideal raw material for the pharmaceutical industry. and trace temperature, , tamper-proof The key is consistent quality. Paperboard packag- security and counterfeit protection. Also, ing made from fresh fibre runs on the packaging sustainable packaging design and reducing ink lines with higher cycle rates, generating less process consumption. waste.

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Close up of a designer

Andrew Gibbs creates packaging to last Designer Andrew Gibbs is an innovator in sustainable packaging design. The future of packaging depends heavily on a new kind of product thinking. For instance, sparkling water can be made at home, and shampoo is being produced in solid form.

Lotta Ehrnrooth, photo: Metsä Board

ndrew Gibbs, founder of the highly regarded Dieline lar SodaStream sparkling water is a good example of sustain- network for designers, is convinced that wood fi- ability. A bre-based packaging materials are the future of the en- “In one stroke, sparkling water, which produces a lot of dis- tire packaging industry. posable plastic, could instead be made at home in one and the “They’re beautiful, adaptable materials, and the capability to same .” work them already exists. They’re suitable for many purposes, Gibbs also mentions solid almond milk packages, which are and their properties are evolving all the time,” says Gibbs. diluted at home for use. The same “just add water” concept is Sustainable packaging design is a good business opportuni- also applicable to cleaning products. ty, as consumers are becoming increasingly sensitive to envi- And cosmetics, where luxury packaging has traditionally been ronmental issues. the be-all and end-all, are also getting a makeover. What is sus- Gibbs believes that the success of packaging is also measured tainable becomes beautiful. Shampoo is already sold in solid by consumer choices. Packaging is successful if it is so attractive form, packaged in paper or paperboard. to the consumer that they want to take it home. Reusing packaging without changing products Take the liquid off the liquids It has been some years since Gibbs realised that he wanted to take The environmental impact of product packaging has long been packaging design in a new direction and to encourage environ- a subject of debate. A Plastic Planet, an organisation in which mentally friendly solutions even more vigorously. Inspiration, Gibbs is involved, is developing an open database for biomate- enthusiasm and the sharing of ideas are important to him. He rials that are suitable for packaging design. already had the same goal of openness in 2007, when he found- Products that are packaged must also change in line with sus- ed the Dieline network. tainability principles. These changes will continue to contribute Gibbs teaches sustainable packaging design at ArtCenter Col- ANDREW GIBBS to the selection and design of packaging materials. lege of Design in Pasadena, California. Lives in Los Angeles • Born in 1985 • Founded the Dieline network in 2007. Dieline specialises in following, developing and For example, the packaging of liquids is one significant chal- He predicts success for the Loop recycling system, which is rewarding packaging design. • A partner in the A Plastic Planet organisation. • Teaches packaging design at ArtCenter University lenge in sustainable packaging design. Gibbs knows the food aimed at reducing disposable packaging and is based on depos- in Pasadena, California. • A member of Metsä Board’s Better with Less packaging design competition jury 2019–2020. and soft drink industry well. In his view, the globally popu- its and the return and reuse of sales packages. •

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The art of packaging Marko Leiviskä Graphic Packaging Designer at Metsä Board

Pushing the boundaries

Metsä Board’s demo brochure shows how graphical packaging plans come to life. With modern printing techniques it is possible

FACTS ABOUT to produce various touch and feel properties and capture THE PACKAGING the attention of consumers. Material: MetsäBoard Prime FBB Bright 355 g/m2 (23.6 pt) Miia Esa, photos: Vesa Tyni Design: Marko Leiviskä, Metsä Board Printing: Grano Special effects: Starcke

etsä Board has created a new graphical Among the spe- brochure as a tool for, and to provide inspi- cial effects are hot- M ration to, packaging and graphic design pro- foil stamping with fessionals. It showcases a comprehensive set of special printing on top, effects, from various foil prints to extremely techni- gold and silver cally demanding embossing. hot-foil combin- “Our graphical brochure is a guarantee of the excel- ed with embos- lent technical characteristics and quality of our pa- sing, and a clear perboard. We have pushed printing and post-proces- holographic hot- sing to the limit, and the material can handle it,” says foil on top of prin- Graphic Packaging Designer Marko Leiviskä from ting combined with Metsä Board. multilayer embossing. Leiviskä’s starting point for the design of the brochu- The brochure represents a re was a sculptor working metal or bronze. How can challenge to established printing the artist’s vision be replicated in the most authentic techniques. For example, Leiviskä wanted to show Silver hot-foil stamping under graphic product possible? that UV colours are not needed to print foiling. The- CMYK printing. “Different techniques can give the paperboard a ge- re are also foils that can be printed with conventio- nuine sculptural sense and feel. At its best, the printed nal offset colours. surface mirrors and reflects like real metal.” This implementation also shows how to incorporate the sense of touch into the printed product. A metallic effect “The haptic element is considered very important The graphic brochure highlights different techniques on the packaging side. Consumers want to exami- Silver hot-foil and multilayer embossing. and different price range solutions for creating a me- ne packaging, to touch it and feel it in their hands. tallic effect. All the desired effects are created with Promotional campaigns are remembered better and 26 runs on the converting machinery – including stand out more if they include the sense of touch.” printing.

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The art of packaging

Holographic clear hot-foil and multilayer embossing.

Printing hot-foil with CMYK colours.

Folding boxboard challenges solid bleached sulphate board The graphical brochure shows how brilliantly Metsä Board’s folding boxboard works as a printing surface. The smoothness and whiteness of MetsäBoard Prime FBB Bright, the flagship product of Metsä Board, are excellent. “Both features are really close to solid bleached sulphate board PRINTING AND (SBS) now, so folding boxboard can challenge solid bleached sul- CONVERTING FACTS phate board on both price and quality. Its environmental proper- ties are also better,” Leiviskä says. Total Golden and silver hot-foil The back of the paperboard is also a technically excellent prin- with embossing. • 4 printing runs ting surface, with a pleasant haptic feel. (traditional offset inks) • 6 printing colours • 8 hot-foil runs and tools A tool for design and sales • 5 embossing tools and With the help of the brochure, Leiviskä wanted to runs show how to tell an impactful story with a print- • 2 water-based varnishes, matt and glossy ed product. • 2 die-cutting tools The purpose of the brochure is to give desig- • Creasing and cutting ners and brand owners ideas about what they can demand from a printed product, and un- In total 26 machine runs derstanding printing processes and production techniques also helps with design. “Many merchants have adopted it as a tool, and they are really excited to show it to their customers. That’s the best feedback you can get as a designer.” •

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METSÄ BOARD FACTS AND FIGURES

OUR PRODUCT

PORTFOLIO NATURAL CLASSIC PRO PRIME

FOLDING BOXBOARDS MetsäBoard MetsäBoard MetsäBoard MetsäBoard FBB Natural FBB Classic FBB Pro FBB OBAfree Prime FBB Bright MetsäBoard MetsäBoard MetsäBoard Classic FBB CX Pro FBB Bright Prime FBB EB MetsäBoard MetsäBoard Pro FBB CX Prime FBB CX MetsäBoard Prime FBB CXB

FOOD SERVICE BOARDS MetsäBoard MetsäBoard FSB Natural FSB Cup Pro FSB Cup

WHITE KRAFTLINERS MetsäBoard MetsäBoard MetsäBoard MetsäBoard WKL Natural WKL Classic WKL Pro WKL Prime WKL MetsäBoard Natural WKL Bright

METSÄ BOARD OUR VALUE CHAIN IN NUMBERS IS SPECIAL

High access to Nordic fibre № 1 100,000 in folding boxboard and 1.9 white kraftliners in Europe Finnish forest owners as our owner base Billion EUR sales in coated white kraftliners globally Sustainable and renewable raw materials 100 100% We deliver to 100 countries traceability and self-sufficiency in high-quality Nordic fibres and tailor made pulps Our customers are brand owners, retailers, converters, corrugated box Resource-efficient operations manufacturers and mer- chants A List position in CDP’s Climate and 2,400 Water assessments In Finland, for every tree Metsä Board also has EcoVadis Platinum rating and is personnel harvested, four seedlings ranked in the top 1% of suppliers. are planted

13_Facts_figures.indd 39 25.3.2021 10.13 The cover of this magazine is made with MetsäBoard Prime FBB Bright 210 g/m2 (12.0 pt). It is printed in five colors (CMYK + PMS 812 C), embossed and coated with matte UV varnish.

Metsä Board professional magazine

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metsaboard.com

WHAT MIGHT BE A DESIGN INSPIRATION FOR CIRCULAR PACKAGING?

We feature our idea on this issue’s cover with a picture of an imaginary package. The concept of a modular packaging structure motivated us to study various combinations. Wild berries growing in northern forests inspired us with their clean, fresh and lively appearance. The colours and shapes were taken directly from nature. The image was realised as a 3D model, com- bining the package’s structural and graphic design. The solution was co-created by Metsä Board’s packaging design team for the packag- ing’s conceptual design, the packaging design agency Futupack for the 3D modelling, and the marketing agency Hube Helsinki for assisting with the graphics.

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