​On 23 April, the UNESCO World Book Day, bookstores, publishers, libraries, schools and reading enthusiasts across Germany celebrate a large reading festival, a regional tradition since 1995.

​In an industry where multiple companies are involved in the conception of a single product it is important to identify and resolve potential challenges in the supply chain during the planning process. This is most successful when all those involved are able to come together and exchange ideas. The Packaging Inspiration Forum (PIF) is a place to do just that. It was set up by the PrintCity strategic alliance and took place digitally for the first time this year. Metsä Board is pleased to be a member of the PrintCity Alliance.

​Creating sustainable, safe and pure medical and pharmaceutical packaging solutions that are compliant with good manufacturing practices and quality management is on the increase globally, and the COVID-19 pandemic has been increasing the need further.  

​​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.

​E-commerce has, during the past few years, seen a particular boost before Christmas. In 2020, the pandemic will, without doubt, bring e-commerce sales to a new Christmas record, as shoppers avoid brick-and-mortar stores.

SIM Finland Oy is a cosmetics manufacturer that emphasises purity, quality, and design in its products, and pays special attention to sustainability issues. When the company recently renewed its SensiDO professional hair colour range it chose a packaging material that mirrored these exacting values. MetsäBoard Pro FBB Bright is a lightweight fresh fibre paperboard with a low carbon footprint manufactured in Finland by Metsä Board.

​Alongside growing consumption, the need for authenticity is increasing in pharma packages. Pharma companies and consumers alike want to be sure that the medicine is legitimate – not a forgery and has not been tampered with. Tamper-evident features are a tool to ensure the safety of the packed product. 

Packaging and graphical professionals are constantly looking for new ways to attract consumers. There is often an artistic vision and haptic feeling that the printed piece should convey. With modern printing techniques it is possible to produce various touch and feel properties, but outstanding technical characteristics are also required from the paperboard. 

​Historically, eating healthily and treating oneself have largely been viewed as mutually exclusive, with self-indulgent foods thought of in terms of takeaways and fatty, sugary or spicy foods and healthy food often perceived to be bland and boring. Can a balance be struck between these extremes? We explore this fascinating theme with Anu Rehtijärvi, Business Intelligence Manager at Metsä Board.

With people choosing to eat at home more often, it's important that groceries and takeaway food can be delivered to consumers safely. Packaging has a vital part to play in this process. Marjatta Punkka, Product Safety Manager at Metsä Board, says that food safety certification is one way to guarantee safe production methods and minimise risk throughout the production chain.

​An attractive gift item requires an equally impressive package. Metsä Board's design team helped to create an appealing package for a golf ball gift set featuring the universally loved Moomin characters.  

​Good packaging protects both the product and the consumer, and as a packaging material, fresh fibre paperboard has an advantage. Paperboard made from fresh fibre is safe to use in packaging for foodstuffs and in food service. It does not pass on any flavour, odour or harmful substances to the food.

​Demographic shifts - with more urban, single, carless, digitally enabled yet time-starved or physically restricted consumers - are driving the demand for faster and more convenient shopping and consumption.

​In Metsä Board’s Better with Less – Design Challenge, innovative solutions for frequently used consumer packages were gathered from entrants around the world. A key focus area in the competition was in creating better experiences for consumers while reducing the environmental impact of the packaging in general.

For companies producing consumer goods, replacing fossil-based packaging materials with sustainable paperboard packaging is an excellent way to improve the responsibility of their business operations and promote sustainability globally.

​The global e-commerce market is growing at double digit growth rates. Increasing e-commerce offers numerous opportunities for packaging suppliers, but also challenges, as online shopping places new requirements on packaging.

​Integrated cartonboard distributer ProntoPack offers a new European platform for quick deliveries and small batches.

Views are changing on what is considered luxury. Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of environmental issues, and many want their purchases to reflect these values. Accordingly, modern luxury brands are looking for ways to make their goods desirable for both customers and the planet. And according to a recent consumer survey, that’s also good for the business.

​How is urbanisation affecting the way families and individuals live in the modern city, and what are the effects of these changes upon packaged consumer goods?

​15 years of close collaboration help Metsä Board and Essentra meet the key trends for luxury and personal care packaging.

​Cartons, using Metsä Board’s paperboards, were awarded in three categories at the European Carton Excellence Awards, held on 21 September in Salzburg, Austria. The awards recognised excellence in design, convenience, brand communication and the major role paperboard plays as an innovative packaging material.

​In his column, Mark Beamesderfer, technical marketing & services director at Metsä Board Americas, talks about how online purchasing has changed the demands for brand packaging.

​The beauty and men's care segment has never seen such interesting and varied times. We take a look under the surface to examine the movements driving this fascinating series of developments.

​Kyrö Distillery Company’s Napue Gin has swiftly become a Nordic award-winning sensation. We take a look at how their market-shaping brand is supported by careful supplier selection.

​With two highly creative designs, Metsä Board earned a double recognition at this year’s iF Design Awards. T2 Mini Fruit Tea packaging won an iF Design certificate for ‘Beverages’ and the company’s own innovative Elevated drink box won another iF Design certificate for ‘Independent Packaging’.

​For tea and teawares company T2, packaging is an essential part of enjoying tea.

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

​Did you open the window on an advent calendar this morning? A calendar brings joy and excitement in the middle of the darkest time of the year. Let us introduce you to five perspectives to the traditional Advent Calendar of the Guides and Scouts of Finland. 

​Bag-in-box packages are gaining more and more foothold in some of the largest wine drinking countries in North America and Europe. The market intelligence publisher Euromonitor is forecasting an increase of 4 % p.a. for the global bag-in-box retail packaging market by 2020.

Three cartons using fresh fibre paperboards from Metsä Board won at the 2016 Pro Carton ECMA Awards, including the award for the Carton of the Year.

​The latest trends in the healthcare market are shaping new ways of packaging medical products.

​Seven cartons using Metsä Board’s boards have been shortlisted for the finals of the 2016 Pro Carton ECMA Awards. There are finalists in Beauty & Cosmetics, Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals, Food and Non-food packaging categories.

Nina Happonen, VP of sales at Metsä Board Americas, answered three questions on the US market.

​When making something new, why not make it a true innovation?

​The latest and greatest packaging innovations are within reach.

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 and graphical professionals are constantly looking for new ways to attract consumers. There is often an artistic vision and haptic feeling that the printed piece should convey. With modern printing techniques it is possible to produce various touch and feel properties, but outstanding technical characteristics are also required from the paperboard. 

​Alongside growing consumption, the need for authenticity is increasing in pharma packages. Pharma companies and consumers alike want to be sure that the medicine is legitimate – not a forgery and has not been tampered with. Tamper-evident features are a tool to ensure the safety of the packed product. 

SIM Finland Oy is a cosmetics manufacturer that emphasises purity, quality, and design in its products, and pays special attention to sustainability issues. When the company recently renewed its SensiDO professional hair colour range it chose a packaging material that mirrored these exacting values. MetsäBoard Pro FBB Bright is a lightweight fresh fibre paperboard with a low carbon footprint manufactured in Finland by Metsä Board.

​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.  

​Even though the coronavirus crisis has impacted our daily lives in many ways and dominates the news headlines, concern for the impact of climate change has by no means disappeared. Combatting climate change and the risks and opportunities that the changing climate brings with it are questions that companies need to answer through their actions.

​E-commerce has, during the past few years, seen a particular boost before Christmas. In 2020, the pandemic will, without doubt, bring e-commerce sales to a new Christmas record, as shoppers avoid brick-and-mortar stores.

​​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.

​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.  

​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.

​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.

​​Creating a sustainable packaging solution for medical products was the goal that ERBA Diagnostics Mannheim and AR Packaging Graz set themselves for the new ISE-Analyzer EC Cartridge.

​​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.

​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.

​​Clever packaging concepts are not only made from Metsä Board's sustainable paperboard – the paperboard itself can utilise new types of intelligence too.

​​Finland's leading ready-to-eat food company, Saarioinen, launched soup packaging just before Valentine's Day, for consumers to share their own messages. An online platform combined with digital printing, opened up exciting new opportunities for the packaging.

​Creating sustainable, safe and pure medical and pharmaceutical packaging solutions that are compliant with good manufacturing practices and quality management is on the increase globally, and the COVID-19 pandemic has been increasing the need further.  

​Ever wondered what the secret is behind the bold, bright and beautiful designs on the box for the new TV or laptop you've just bought, or the eye-catching vegetable boxes and store displays at your local supermarket? The answer is coated white top kraftliner, a material that changed the corrugated packaging market for good after its introduction in the early 90s. 

I might be biased, but I’ve always seen the corrugated package as a simply brilliant construction. And with sustainability and circular economy thinking at the top of the agenda for both brands and consumers today, this lightweight, sustainable and recyclable material is more relevant than ever.  

​In an industry where multiple companies are involved in the conception of a single product it is important to identify and resolve potential challenges in the supply chain during the planning process. This is most successful when all those involved are able to come together and exchange ideas. The Packaging Inspiration Forum (PIF) is a place to do just that. It was set up by the PrintCity strategic alliance and took place digitally for the first time this year. Metsä Board is pleased to be a member of the PrintCity Alliance.

​On 23 April, the UNESCO World Book Day, bookstores, publishers, libraries, schools and reading enthusiasts across Germany celebrate a large reading festival, a regional tradition since 1995.

​The general climate debate has made it clear that halting global warming at an increase of 1.5 degrees will require concrete action from companies. Growing numbers of customers, investors and consumers are demanding that companies act responsibly. Those that aim to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions can gain a significant competitive advantage.

​One of the pioneers in the field is Unilever, a global market leader in various sectors and the owner of several world-class brands. The company strives for sustainable packaging. 

​Metsä Board’s Husum pulp mill renewal is ongoing, with the construction of the new modern recovery boiler and turbine in full swing. Metsä Board has set the target for all its mills and raw materials to be 100% fossil free in 2030. The renewal of the Husum mill is a significant step towards this goal. 

​Financial Times published its first listing of Europe’s Climate Leaders in May.

​Mars Wrigley UK has taken another step in its journey towards 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging with the removal of the black PE liner from its Maltesers boxes – a familiar site on store shelves since 1930.

​Pro Carton and ECMA have recently revealed the finalists for the European Carton Excellence Award 2021. Yves Rocher’s luxurious New Year makeup calendar, produced by Durero Packaging on Metsä Board paperboard, is one of the finalists.

​Pro Carton and ECMA have recently revealed the finalists for the European Carton Excellence Award 2021. Smarties Giant Hexatube, produced by the carton converter WestRock on Metsä Board paperboard, is one of the finalists.