M-real at the Innovationparc Packaging during "interpack 2008"

24/04/2008
Press release 24.4.2008

Product optimisation, and innovation, lightweighting, environment protection,
and sustainability characterise the presence 

During the "interpack 2008" fair, M-real Consumer Packaging will be presenting
itself at the Innovationparc Packaging in exhibition hall 7a, which is hosted
by Messe Düsseldorf in cooperation with Pro Carton, the European Association of
Cartonboard and Carton Manufacturers. This special show within the interpack
fair will cover the whole supply chain and provide live experiences of
innovations and visions in five main areas of interest. M-real's presence at
the Innovationparc Packaging will mainly be based in the Sustainability
Competence Centre. "This Competence Centre underlines the growing importance of
environmental aspects at the different stages of the value creation chain -
from raw materials to the readily packaged product - which is clearly in line
with our corporate philosophy", Manfred Aumann, Sales Director Germany for
Consumer Packaging, states. There, the company can present its different types
of cartonpaperboard and its services in a broader context. 

For M-real, product optimisation will be an important topic at the interpack
fair. The company has a great deal to offer in this field, especially in terms
of sustainability. "We coined the term "lightweighting", which means the
reduction of cartonboard grammage, thus improving economic efficiency", Aumann
explains. This way, logistic costs and CO2 emissions can be reduced, while
maintaining the same high level of quality in terms of packaging design,
printing and finish, and with the same packing efficiency. Thickness and
stiffness are the same, but the weight of the packaging is reduced
significantly. In addition to the mentioned economic advantages, this also
means less waste at the end of the supply chain. M-real has also developed
bleached chemi-thermo-mechanical pulp (BCTMP), which is especially tailored for
packaging boards. 

In general and traditionally, the increasing global concern about climate
change influences the way M-real acts as a business. Special value is placed on
an excellent energy balance. "Our plants mainly use locally produced steam and
electricity. Moreover, 65 percent of the fuels we use are biofuels on wood
basis", Aumann emphasises. For example,Furthermore, the company only uses wood
from sustainably cultivatedmanaged forested areas and fosters reliable
certification systems. In 2006, 70 percent of the wood used at M-real was
certified. One of the innovations relating to heightened environmental
compatibility expectations was the development of bleached
chemi-thermomechanical pulp (BCTP) for the middle layer of cartonboard, which
is coated with bleached chemical pulp. This material combines excellent
printability with high whiteness. 

Generally speaking, the great variation of requirements from customers and
consumers is making the market more complex. Customers expect an economically
sound product, in particular as the significance of packaging for image
building is growing significantly. The manufacturers' creativity and innovative
power are in high demand here. "Our customers in the consumer packaging section
are carton manufacturers, or they produce, process, or finish branded products
from a variety of industries", Aumann explains. "For our branch, the
cartonboard and paper industry, this means we have to gear ourselves even
better for future developments", he adds. 

 

M-real's portfolio: sustainability, convenience, imagination, and more

In addition to the company's presence in the Sustainability Competence Centre,
M-reals portfolio of products and services is also related to the other
Competence Centres in the Innovationparc Packaging, namely in the areas
"Convenience", "Consumer Insights", "Point of Sale" and "Imagination". 

This applies especially to the "Convenience" area, as the continuous
optimisation of materials at M-real offers increasingly attractive applications
- for example, consumers can use M-real's high-end product packaging as gift
packaging, without the need for extra gift wrap. Sales packaging is also said
to initiate about 70 percent of purchase decisions. If, for example, there is a
packaging with a special look or feel on the sales rack which attracts the
consumer's attention, the consumer is more likely to buy. But M-real products
also enable particularly appealing “Point of Sale” solutions. Moreover, M-real
offers material for special consumer requirements in the area of "Consumer
Insights" - the packaging for chocolate, for instance,  where the odour of the
pack must not transfuse to the product. M-real meets this challenge by offering
special odourless and tasteless types of packaging for confectionery: Carta
Solida, Carta Integra and Simcote. The continuous development of
cartonpaperboard typesgrades fills the "Imagination" keyword with life at
M-real. 

Link to photo:
http://databank.metsaliitto.com/metsaliitto/mreal.jsp?x=6049788&i=21671237945259
47408111216239624111192 

 

For further information please contact in M-real Consumer Packaging: 

Manfred Aumann, Sales Director, Central Europe
Mobile +49 173 341 7468