​Rising environmental awareness has become a megatrend, with many consumers changing their behavior to adopt a greener lifestyle. They consciously pay attention to the environmental impact of the products they are purchasing, and the packaging is also under critical scrutiny. Packaging made of recycled materials is often assumed to be a more sustainable choice which, based on many aspects, is not always factually true.

​​Due to the coronavirus pandemic, we are all more aware of the importance of good hygiene. This also affects how we look at food products and packaging. In fact, packaging has taken on a completely new meaning during the past year.

​Finnish packaging converter Jaakkoo-Taara is an ISO-certified company with decades of experience in producing a diverse range of packaging solutions for the demanding and strictly regulated pharma industry. We spoke to CEO Thomas Brusila about the hot topics that are shaping his business.

​​A study published by the European Paper Packaging Association (EPPA) reveals that single-use fibre-based food and drink packaging used in European quick service restaurants provide significant key environmental advantages when compared to reusable tableware.

​Sustainable, renewable and recyclable packaging is in serious demand right now, and so are solutions that enhance consumer experience. Wrapping up the perfect package requires teamwork based on strong collaborations, which is exactly what we are developing at our new Excellence Centre. Our new workshop concepts for co-creating solutions with our customers and partners are purpose-built for deep collaboration. These sessions, which can also be run virtually, have been very successful at bringing together the right people in the right place at the right time to innovate new sustainable packaging solutions.

​As packaging designers, the first mistake we often make is to create a package that pleases us rather than the people who will buy the product inside. My trick to avoid this is to leave my inner designer at home and step into the consumer's shoes instead.  

​Showcasing a sustainable alternative for food packaging – that was the aim of the new demo project by Weilburger Graphics. The company created an innovative and recyclable beverage cooler made from paperboard and using a completely new waterproof coating.  

When Dutch coffee brand Zuivere Koffie was developing its new coffee range, it wanted the packaging to be both sustainable and eye-catching. In order to achieve this dual aim, Zuivere Koffie collaborated with Metsä Board. The converter, Remmert Dekker Packaging, challenged themselves to find an extra special something to bring to the project.

Packaging for food must meet certain basic requirements to be fit for purpose, but are there different factors to consider when it's sold online? With online grocery sales on the rise, brands must consider how packaging can enhance the shopping experience for their customers. We spoke with Anna Keinänen, Business Intelligence Manager at Metsä Board, to uncover some key considerations for food packaging when selling online.

​Rapala, a leading fishing lure innovator, chose Metsä Board’s premium lightweight paperboard for its striking lure packaging. The packaging was digitally printed by PackageMedia.

​When shopping for your groceries, do you choose packaging based on how environmentally friendly you think it is? If, like us, you want to make the best choices for the planet, there are a few things it’s important to know. ​For example, how environmentally friendly are cartons made from non-recycled fibre (also called virgin or fresh fibre) compared to recycled ones? You might be surprised by the answer.

In a series of interviews we ask the winners of the Better with Less – Design Challenge what inspired them to enter their inspirational ideas.

​Petteri Taalas, Secretary-General of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) believes that fossil-free production will soon be a significant competitive advantage for companies.

​Superb customer service and a superior product are gaining Metsä Board a strong foothold in the US market. Customers in the US embrace better, lighter and faster solutions.

​Insects are considered a common element of human nutrition in many regions around the world. In Europe, too, snacks and dishes made of arthropods are becoming popular. No wonder given the fact that they are rich in nutrients, beneficial to the environment and efficient to breed. Zirpinsects, the manufacturer of ZIRP insect snacks, packs its dried mealworms, grasshoppers and crickets in a sustainable folding carton made of Metsä Board’s fresh fibre board – for a natural, sustainable and consistent product presentation.

​We take a look at the biggest trends affecting food packaging today, from premium branded coffees to multi-pack snacks.

​Metsä Board has the same food safety certificates as the food industry. That’s just one example of how Metsä Board secures the product safety of its products.

In 2016 Metsä Board carried out a study on mineral oil migration into food from packaging and got some convincing data on its paperboards product safety.  

​Both research and feedback from the field indicate that folding boxboard and digital printing have a bright future ahead of them. Digital printing technology company Xeikon has seen the signs and recently dedicated an entire team to the folding carton business.

​Metsä Board’s white linerboard range has a recent addition, Kemiart Brite+. This grade is a specially designed coated white-top kraftliner suitable for brand, retail and consumer packages, and is also safe for food packaging.

​In Metsä Board’s view, digital printing is challenging the whole packaging value chain, from design to box manufacturing.

​At the beginning of 2016, Metsä Board started up a new folding boxboard production line at its Husum mill in Sweden. A new video was produced to highlight this, made in collaboration with Valmet – the technology company who supplied the new line.

​A patent lost in wartime gave rise to Comart, now the leading board supplier in the Iberian peninsula.

​Metsä Board's Husum mill’s new folding boxboard machine, BM1, was inaugurated in April 2016. The production of BM1 is targeted at the Americas and the food-service market globally.

​Metsä Board has perfected the concept for its range of food-service boards.

​​Metsä Board's associated company Metsä Fibre is currently building the world's first next-generation bioproduct mill in Äänekoski, Finland. With a value of EUR 1.2 billion, this represents the Finnish forestry industry's largest ever investment.

​1 billion products sold daily. That’s why we asked Nestlé what makes for high performance in paperboard.