About 10,000 reusable biocomposite lids are planned to be distributed at Valio’s sales demonstrations in Finland during January 2020

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The biocomposite lid will be tested on crème fraiche and quark containers. (Credit: Stora Enso)

Finnish dairy products manufacturer Valio has teamed up with pulp, paper and forest products manufacturer Stora Enso to trial reusable biocomposite lids on quark containers.

As part of the plan, the partners will distribute 10,000 wood-fibre-based biocomposite lids while encouraging consumers to reduce their food waste.

Stora Enso said that the packaging and its lids play an important role in reducing food loss and waste during transportation and storage.

The reusable lids, which will pilot a new wood-based biocomposite in food packaging, are planned to be distributed at Valio’s sales demonstrations in Finland during January 2020.

Valio packaging development manager Jussi-Pekka Lumme said: “With this pilot project, we want to encourage people to take small concrete actions to prevent food waste.

“The lid helps to cover any leftover crème fraiche and quark in the cups, and this way to prevent food waste.”

The reusable biocomposite lids are made using Stora Enso’s DuraSense material

The new reusable lids are made using Stora Enso’s DuraSense, a material made of wood fibre and polymers. DuraSense can be used to replace over half of fossil-based plastics and help in reducing a product’s carbon footprint compared to conventional plastic.

Lumme added: “Valio was the first in the world to start using fully plant-based one-litre milk cartons in 2015. In 2018, we converted all of our 250 million gable-top milk, yoghurt, cream, and sour milk packages to fully plant-based ones.

“These packages are part of broader work where Valio aims for carbon-neutral milk, i.e. resetting milk’s carbon footprint in 2035. We continue to explore new package innovation possibilities that we could try out and implement.”

The latest move is a part of Stora Enso’s effort to develop renewable and circular material solutions in a bid to improve the environmental footprint of foodservice packaging.

Stora Enso packaging materials head Hannu Kasurinen said: “We at Stora Enso see a strong demand for climate-friendly food packaging, where strong brands searching for eco-friendly solutions are one of the driving forces.

“Together with our customers and brand owners we are actively developing new innovative solutions to support food chains to respond to consumer demands for sustainable choices.”

In 2019, German packaging manufacturer Rebhan has launched biocomposite caps, which were produced using Stora Enso’s DuraSense material.