Ultralight pizza box awarded in 2024 WorldStar packaging competition
Metsä Board, part of Metsä Group, has been selected as one of the winners of 2024 WorldStar awards for their ultralight pizza box concept developed together with Adara Pakkaus and other industry experts. A total of 435 entries from 41 countries were included in this year’s competition.
An expert panel of international judges compared the entries to similar solutions from around the world and awarded the ones that were superior in their category and market and were better in execution or innovation, in comparison to others.
The awarded ultralight pizza box solution, made of MetsäBoard Natural WKL Bright, uses considerably less material than traditional solutions without compromising rigidity, function or print quality. The pizza box was about 38 per cent lighter and according to the life cycle analysis the pizza box’s carbon footprint was up to 50 per cent lower than those of traditional solutions made of recycled fibre. The environmental impact comparison was carried out on material and its production.*
The ultralight packaging concept was created in co-operation with leading expert of packaging industry. Packaging manufacturer Adara Pakkaus produced the corrugated material and printing of the pizza box with Marvaco supplying the the flexo printing plates. The visual outlook was designed by Futupack. Researcher and expert on ECG Expanded Gamut printing, Dr Kai Lankinen, provided invaluable input on the graphic design, prepress, and flexographic printing requirements.
The World Packaging Organisation (WPO) has been organising the WorldStar awards since 1970 to recognise the best of the best in packaging innovations from across the globe. The objective is to bring forth advancements in packaging design and technology especially in responding to new challenges and global trends such as sustainability.
Only packaging solutions that have been previously awarded in a recognised national or regional competition are eligible to participate. Previous to the WorldStar recognition, Metsä Board’s pizza box concept was awarded a ScanStar in a competition organised by the Nordic packaging industry associations in late 2023.
*) Metsä Board follows process category rules for processed paper and paperboard which are based on ISO 14040/14044 life cycle assessment standards when assessing environmental impacts of its paperboards. For comparative assertions external datasets from Sphera have been utilised. These datasets represent typical products on the EU markets. Comparison excludes paperboard converting processes. Climate Change methodology used in the assessment was EF3.0 Climate Change – Total.
For further information:
Marjo Halonen, VP Communications, Metsä Board
Mobile: +358 (0)50 598 7046
Email: marjo.halonen@metsagroup.com
Metsä Board
metsagroup.com/metsaboard
Metsä Board is a leading European producer of premium fresh fibre paperboards. We focus on lightweight and high-quality folding boxboards, food service boards and white kraftliners. The pure fresh fibres we use in our products are a renewable and recyclable resource, that can be traced back to sustainably managed northern forests. We are a forerunner in sustainability, and we aim to have completely fossil free mills and raw materials by the end of 2030.
Together with our customers we develop innovative packaging solutions to create better consumer experiences with less environmental impact. In 2022 our sales totaled EUR 2.5 billion, and we have around 2,250 employees. Metsä Board, part of Metsä Group, is listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki.
Follow Metsä Board: LinkedIn X YouTube Instagram
Metsä Group
metsagroup.com
Metsä Group leads the way in the bioeconomy. We invest in growth, developing bioproducts and a fossil free future. The raw material for our products is renewable wood from sustainably managed northern forests. We focus on the growth sectors of the forest industry: wood supply and forest services, wood products, pulp, fresh fibre paperboards, and tissue and greaseproof papers.
Metsä Group’s annual sales is approximately EUR 7 billion, and we have around 9,500 employees in 30 countries. We promote a culture of diversity, equality and inclusion. Our international Group has its roots in the Finnish forest: our parent company is Metsäliitto Cooperative owned by over 90,000 forest owners.
