Shared values strengthen the partnership between KraftPal and Kiilto
Cardboard pallet manufacturer KraftPal uses Kiilto’s biobased adhesive in its production, and Kiilto uses KraftPal’s cardboard pallets in the transportation of some of its products. Environmental values and a responsible business approach are key priorities for both companies.
KraftPal manufactures cardboard pallets for logistic purposes. The company’s cardboard pallets also offer an alternative to traditional wooden pallets. Cardboard pallets are not only durable, but also fully recyclable and lightweight. Despite their light structure, they can hold up to over a tonne of weight. This, in turn, decreases the weight of freight transports, allowing transport companies to minimise both their fuel costs and emissions.
“Cardboard pallets also save our forests through more efficient use of wood material, as you can make five cardboard pallets from the same amount of wood needed to make one wooden pallet,” says KraftPal Nordics founder and CEO Martin Wichmann.
Around five billion pallets are needed worldwide every year. New pallets account for approximately 70 per cent of this total. Although rented wooden pallets are recycled and repaired, there is also a great need for unused pallets, as they are a must in certain sectors. Cardboard pallets are just the thing for this purpose.
“We currently manufacture about one million pallets a year, and we will be expanding our operations with a second line in the coming years,” says Wichmann.
Cardboard pallets in line with sustainable development
KraftPal began production in Lempäälä, Finland in summer 2023. The factory, which employs ten people, was set up in the Marjamäki business park. The park uses solar cells and biogas to generate its electricity.
“Marjamäki is a zero-emissions zone, which was a perfect fit with our focus on sustainability. Our business is based on promoting the green transition, so we take sustainability into account in all our strategic business decisions,” says KraftPal COO Jarmo Palukka.
Against this background, it was natural that in its production process KraftPal decided to use Kiilto Pro Pack Eco, a biobased adhesive developed and manufactured by Kiilto.
“We need two adhesives to make each cardboard pallet, both of which we buy from Kiilto. One of these is the biobased Pack Eco adhesive, which also proved to be the best option in adhesive tests. All in all, it was an easy choice,” says Palukka.
Topias Heinisuo checks the cardboard pallet being made on the production line.
Continuous improvement: a responsible choice
Kiilto has developed the biobased Kiilto Pro Pack Eco dispersion adhesive for the paper and packaging industry. The adhesive has the same properties as comparable non-bioplastic products. It can be introduced without any changes to the customer’s production.
In biobased adhesives, fossil-based raw materials are replaced with renewable raw materials. Renewable raw materials can include materials that would otherwise go unused. These are generated in various ways, including forest industry side streams.
“Another type of adhesive used by KraftPal is a hot melt adhesive, which is used to glue the joints of the cardboard sheets during the process. This adhesive requires fast and process-optimal open and press times. Kiilto conducts constant research and product development to make our melt adhesives increasingly biobased,” says Kiilto RDI Manager Maija Kulla-Pelonen.
“We invest heavily in product development and strive to find increasingly environmentally sustainable solutions. Adding biobased adhesives to our product range is also a fundamental part of Kiilto’s environmental goals.”
Comprehensive collaboration
Collaboration between KraftPal and Kiilto has been excellent from the beginning. When KraftPal completed its assembly line at the Lempäälä plant, Kiilto held an adhesives training session for KraftPal staff, explaining the adhesives’ properties and providing instructions on their use.
“The training was a great kick-start to our partnership. We trust in Kiilto’s expertise. We visited the Kiilto laboratory to see how they test the adhesives that best suit our process. We then chose the adhesives together,” Wichmann says.
The partnership also works superbly the other way round: Kiilto uses KraftPal cardboard pallets to transport its display products. The cardboard pallet is a good match for the display, since it is also made of cardboard.
A Kiilto display on a KraftPal cardboard pallet.
“The teamwork has been particularly rewarding because our values and ways of working are closely aligned. A responsible approach to the environment is at the heart of both companies’ operations. By working together, we are both contributing to a sustainable future,” says Kiilto Regional Manager Topias Heinisuo.
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