Stora Enso accelerates growth in formed fibre by expanding production capacity in Europe

Packaging Solutions

Stora Enso is investing €8 million to double its production capacity of formed fibre in Europe. After the investment is completed, the site’s annual formed fibre capacity will grow from 50 to approximately 115 million units of product, making Stora Enso one of Europe’s leading suppliers of this type of packaging material.

The company’s formed fibre products are currently being used in food packaging such as bowls, trays and lids. The technology is also being used for the development of fibre bottles. Formed fibre is renewable, recyclable, and biodegradable, and can be used to replace plastics in a wide range of applications. PureFiber by Stora Enso is a range of formed fibre products that contain no per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and has up to 75% lower CO2 footprint compared to alternative packaging materials such as plastic or bagasse.

‘There is a high demand in the market for eco friendly, circular packaging solutions that replace plastic and other fossil based materials. Our formed fibre offering can help brand owners meet their sustainability targets, while responding to consumers’ demands for a cleaner future. Through our investment and the capacity increase we further improve our position in this growing market,’ said Sohrab Kazemahvazi, senior vice president, head of formed fibre at Stora Enso.

The products are manufactured from various chemical pulps and chemi-thermomechanical pulp (CTMP) by pressing it into a desired shape in a moulding machine. The raw material is pulp made from wood from sustainable sources. The company will manufacture the raw material at its mills in Sweden and Finland and the converting will take place at the Hylte site.

Stora Enso’s ambition is to offer 100% regenerative products and solutions by 2050. The group is also committing to new 2030 targets for its key sustainability priorities: climate change, biodiversity, and circularity. The new climate target is aligned with the Paris agreement and science based targets.