Stora Enso collaborates with Sulapac to accelerate growth in renewable materials

22 May 2018 --- Stora Enso and start-up company, Sulapac, have signed a joint development agreement to combat the global problem of plastic waste by accelerating the use of fully renewable, recyclable and biodegradable materials in packaging.

Through the joint development agreement, Stora Enso will license Sulapac’s materials and technology, and begin the development of fully renewable caps and closures for liquid packages. Other areas for joint development work include food packages and packages for consumer electronics.

“At Stora Enso we believe that everything that’s made with fossil-based materials today can be made from a tree tomorrow. Our future growth comes from innovations in renewable materials,” says Annica Bresky, EVP Consumer Board at Stora Enso. “With our partners, such as Sulapac, we drive these innovations to create the packaging of the future.”

“The World needs material solutions that are one hundred percent biodegradable. Sulapac material has all the benefits of plastic yet it completely biodegrades without the issues of microplastic. With Stora Enso’s global expertise we can really speed up the global launch of our Sulapac material,” says Suvi Haimi, Sulapac CEO.

The cooperation between the companies began in 2017 through Stora Enso’s Accelerator programme, which involves partnering with Aalto University and start-ups to ideate and innovate around renewable products. Stora Enso is the first customer to use Sulapac’s material and technology license.

Sulapac is a fully biodegradable and microplastic free material made of renewable and sustainable raw materials. Sulapac products are designed for brands that want to eliminate plastic waste and demonstrate a commitment to sustainability through the use of premium ecological material. The company was founded in 2016 by Suvi Haimi and Laura Kyllönen and is based in Helsinki, Finland.