A new page opens for Stora Enso. For the first time, the papermaker is making foodservice products out of molded fiber. Announced in 2019, the production required 5 million euros of investments . It was launched at its paper mill in Hylte, Sweden, which previously produced newsprint from thermomechanical pulp (TMP) and recycled fibres.
This new line of molded fiber products, PureFiber by Stora Enso, is renewable, recyclable, biodegradable, and features patent-pending plastic-free water and oil barrier technology. It is made by pressing various wood-based pulps into a three-dimensional shape in a molding machine. These products are intended for food contact packaging applications, such as single-use food service items.
A Life Cycle Assessment study shows that PureFiberTM products have a CO2 footprint approximately 75% smaller than competing packaging materials.
"Market demand for formed fibre products is accelerating and these products offer a unique solution to meet this demand. Single-use plastics are already banned in many countries and PFAS (Perfluorinated compounds, editor's note) in food applications are increasingly controlled by health authorities", says David Ekberg, Executive Vice President, Packaging Solutions Division at Stora Enso.
The group will increase the production capacity of the Swedish plant but also start production at the Qian'an plant in China. The annual capacity of the two plants is expected to reach 115 million units of products.
