Developed in partnership with Nefab, the fibre-based material Fibrease is intended to replace polymer foams and offer brand owners more sustainable packaging solutions
Stora Enso unveils new recyclable and fibre-based wood foam Fibrease to replace polymer-based foams in packaging solutions. (Credit: Stora Enso)
Finland-based pulp and paper company Stora Enso has unveiled its new recyclable and fibre-based wood foam Fibrease to replace polymer-based foams in packaging solutions.
Developed in partnership with Nefab, the fibre-based material Fibrease is intended to replace polymer foams and offer brand owners more sustainable packaging solutions.
Stora Enso said Nefab helped to scale up the production using their engineering expertise and converting capabilities and introduce Fibrease to the market.
Nefab is a B2B firm that offers full packaging solutions and shipping services to its clients around the world while conserving financial and environmental resources in supply chains.
Nefab’s job as a development partner in the collaboration has been to figure out the optimum way to convert Fibrease and test it in transportation, stress, and vibration and to test it out with beta users.
Through feedback and close cooperation, Stora Enso developed fibre-based wood foam whose performance is similar to PU foam but is kerbside recyclable in the paper/board stream.
Nefab Fibre-based solutions product manager Johan Tegell said: “We see a growing demand from eco-conscious companies to replace plastic-based foams with more sustainable alternatives. With Fibrease we can give them that.”
French multinational company Thales Group has already shifted to the new Fibrease to help them achieve their sustainability goal of reducing their environmental footprint by 35% by the end of 2023.
The pilot test went smoothly and its performance fulfilled Thales’ requirements and expectations and fewer carbon emissions to further lessen its environmental impact.
Thales made the decision to abandon the old foam packaging in favour of the new packaging option, which is also recyclable in the paper/board stream.
Stora Enso Wood foam Fibrease director Elisabeth Bergvall said: “We know that a lot of companies want to get away from plastics and leave their reliance on the polymer foams behind, and now they can.
“We offer a renewable raw material that is tested and ready to go.”