The recyclable and fiber-based wood foam Fibrease by Stora Enso can replace e.g. polymer-based foams in packaging solutions. A partnership with Nefab has made it possible to scale up the production and broadly introduce Fibrease to the market.
We are all familiar with the polyurethane (PU) foam used for cushioning in packaging. It performs well when it comes to protecting products. It’s made of fossil raw materials and used frequently within a variety of industries worldwide. Now, after a successful collaboration between Stora Enso and Nefab, the fiber-based material Fibrease is ready to broadly replace polymer foams; offering brand owners sustainable packaging solutions.
Nefab is a global B2B company, which saves environmental and financial resources in supply chains, providing complete packaging solutions and logistics. Because of this, they have the engineering expertise and converting capabilities to test and help develop the material supplied by Stora Enso. Nefab’s role as a development partner has been to learn how to best convert Fibrease and test it through shock, vibrations and transport. Also, to try it out with pilot customers. Through feedback and a close cooperation, Stora Enso has further developed the material.
Thales Group is a French multinational company that designs and manufactures electrical systems and provides services to the aerospace, defence, transportation, and security industries. They are eager to find greener solutions and have set a sustainability goal of reducing their environmental footprint by 35% by the end of 2023. This made them a perfect match to pilot test Fibrease instead of PU foam. The test went well. Fibrease’s performance matches Thales’ demands and expectations but comes with lower carbon emissions, helping them to further reduce their environmental footprint. Thales decided to switch to the new packaging solution that is also recyclable in the paper/board stream, which traditional foam solutions are not.
”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,” says Elisabeth Bergvall, Director Wood foam Fibrease at Stora Enso.
Stora Enso is a leading provider of renewable products in packaging, biomaterials, wooden construction and paper, and one of the largest private forest owners in the world.
