Stora Enso to provide wood-based protective packaging to electrical company

Stora Enso is supplying eco-friendly protective packaging to Norwegian electrical appliances supplier Wilfa. The product will be specifically designed for Wilfa’s ProBaker kitchen mixer.

The protective inserts are made with corrugated boards and Papira — Stora Enso’s bio-based foam made of wood fibers sourced from sustainably managed Nordic forests.

The protective inserts reduced foam content by 50%, decreasing total box volume by 11%. Stora Enso asserts that the impact of volume reduction on palletizing, storage and shipments lowers logistical costs, minimizing emissions.

Arnt Sandvik Nilsen, category director at Wilfa, says: “With the [ProBaker mixer’s] 15 kg, solid construction and multiple accessories included, this was the perfect match for us. It’s still early in changing the packaging, but with a common goal to reduce and reuse, we aim to test Papira together with ProBaker in the future.”

The protective inserts can be recycled with standard paper and board materials and are said to be ideal for protection because they are highly shock-absorbing. 

The packaging is recyclable as monomaterial. Stora Enso stipulates that the foam inserts passed the International Safe Transit Association test. 

Kristīne Biteniece, packaging designer at Stora Enso, says: “This is a beautiful example of how designing packaging with Papira in a way that captures the luxury and quality of the product can elevate the unboxing experience and provide protection during transit.”

Incorporating wood-based materials in packaging 

There is a rising trend for packaging companies to use wood-based materials. Biomaterials present a sustainable alternative to plastics or bioplastics, which both have adverse environmental effects. 

Bpacks is a European start-up tree bark-based packaging technology company. Recently, the company raised €1 million (US$1.05 million) in pre-seed funding, which will support the company’s goal to replace traditional plastic packaging. 

However, there are concerns regarding the preservation of ecosystems when incorporating wood-based materials into packaging materials. 

SIG and WWF have announced their third joint forest conservation project, focusing on preserving forests in Thailand. As part of WWF’s Forests Forward program, the initiative aims to improve forest management in the Dawna Tenasserim, Lower Songkhram and Dong Phayayen regions.