Stora Enso starts the production of new-generation formed fiber products free from plastic and PFAS

STORA ENSO OYJ PRESS RELEASE 24 September 2020 at 9:00 EEST

Stora Enso has started the production of formed fiber food service products at Hylte Mill in Sweden. The production ramp-up follows the investment announced in 2019 and enables the manufacture of products that are renewable, recyclable and biodegradable. The PureFiber^TM by Stora Enso eco-product range is produced without plastic and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), enabling a safe and sustainable alternative for fresh food packaging. The Group is also investing in more formed fiber capacity in Sweden and China.

Through its partnership with HS Manufacturing Group and its patented technology, PROTĒAN®, Stora Enso offers a plastic-free barrier technology for food contact packaging applications. The joint patent-pending technology offers a recyclable and biodegradable solution that gives fiber-based packaging water-, grease- and oil-resistant barrier properties, without plastic or PFAS. The solution can be applied for a range of products, such as single-use food service items. A Life Cycle Analysis study shows that the PureFiber^TM product line has a CO₂ footprint that is approximately 75% lower compared to competing packaging materials.

“Market demand for formed fiber products is accelerating, and these products offer a unique solution to meet that demand. Single-use plastics are already banned in many countries and PFAS in food applications are increasingly scrutinised by health authorities. This ramp-up marks our first step in putting a new generation of sustainable and safe formed fiber products on the market,” says David Ekberg, Executive Vice President, Packaging Solutions Division at Stora Enso.

To meet the demand for formed fiber solutions, Stora Enso is investing in additional production capacity in Hylte Mill in Sweden and Qian’an Mill in China. The annual capacity at both mills will be approximately 115 million units of products.

“Expanding our formed fiber production in China will support the Chinese efforts to replace single-use food packaging with sustainable and safe alternatives,” says David Ekberg.

A formed fiber product is manufactured by pressing various wood-based pulps into a three-dimensional shape in a moulding machine. The raw material used in PureFiber^TM products is pulp made from wood from sustainably managed forests.

Read more about PureFiber^TM by Stora Enso: https://hubs.li/H0wD91D0
 

For further information, please contact:
Carl Norell
Press Officer
tel. +46 72 241 0349
 

Part of the bioeconomy, Stora Enso is a leading global provider of renewable solutions in packaging, biomaterials, wooden constructions and paper. We believe that everything that is made from fossil-based materials today can be made from a tree tomorrow. Stora Enso has some 25 000 employees in over 30 countries. Our sales in 2019 were EUR 10.1 billion. Stora Enso shares are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki (STEAV, STERV) and Nasdaq Stockholm (STE A, STE R). In addition, the shares are traded in the USA as ADRs (SEOAY). storaenso.com

STORA ENSO OYJ

For further information, please contact:
Carl Norell
Press Officer
tel. +46 72 241 0349