​Fifty years ago, on 16 October 1971, the Kemi mill launched its liner production. The mill, which originally produced brown kraftliner, has developed its products to serve as an increasingly high-quality material for packaging and showcases. Today, Metsä Board’s Kemi mill is a leading producer of coated white top kraftliners.

​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.

​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.

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.  

​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. 

​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.

​​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.

​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.

​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. 

​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.

​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.  

​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.

​What kind of packaging solutions do urban consumers want, and how is urbanisation affecting the demand for paperboard? 

​With the growing trend of beverages on the go and expanding consumption, it has become even more important to develop resource-saving solutions with renewable materials. Metsä Board’s in-house design team revamped the traditional design of the paper cup leading them to an entirely new solution: Lidloc that reduces carbon footprint by 50% in comparison to traditional cups with plastic lids.

​How is online retail transforming the requirements of today’s consumer packaging?

​Finnish craft distillery The Helsinki Distilling Company combines a true respect for raw materials with an uncompromising attention to detail. Their White Dog new-make spirit and its packaging both communicate a brand aesthetic where the raw and uncut meets a luxurious finish.

Metsä Board's high-quality paperboards and expert services help you create the most powerful brand communication and brand experiences – from the package itself to various retail solutions.

​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.

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

​In many industries today, eliminating dependence upon fossil-fuel-based materials is a firm aim, but this is more challenging in some applications than others. Take the paper cup, for example. How could you possibly order a café latte on the move without a plastic lid to keep the hot liquid safely inside until you reach your destination?

​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’.

​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.

​With the trend of convenient and fast on-the-go eating growing globally, the demand for food service paperboards is on the rise. In addition to our home markets in Europe, we at Metsä Board have identified the Americas, as well as the global food service market, as our focus areas for future growth.

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.  

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

​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.

​A supportive hand from Metsä Board has helped to keep Polish litholaminator TFP Grafika on the growth track.

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

​The latest and greatest packaging innovations are within reach.

​To get a wide perspective on printing and converting, we turned to Bobst. Bobst is the leading supplier of equipment and services to packaging and label manufacturers in the folding carton, corrugated board and flexible materials industries.

​​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.

​​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.

​​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.

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

​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.

​​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.  

​The French cosmetics company Sothys has chosen Metsä Board's paperboard for its 2021 advent calendar. The impressive, folded calendar is made of the lightweight paperboard – MetsäBoard Pro FBB Bright 320 g/m². 

​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.  

​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.

​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.

​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. 

​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. 

​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.

​A long-term collaboration between Finnish startup The Paper Lid Company and Metsä Board is set to revolutionise the future of takeaway beverage cups with the launch of a 100% recyclable paperboard lid. “This innovation is hands down the best example of packaging design I have ever been involved with,” says Ilkka Harju, Packaging Services Director at Metsä Board.

​Fifty years ago, on 16 October 1971, the Kemi mill launched its liner production. The mill, which originally produced brown kraftliner, has developed its products to serve as an increasingly high-quality material for packaging and showcases. Today, Metsä Board’s Kemi mill is a leading producer of coated white top kraftliners.

​How many tonnes of food have we wasted this year? What impact can switching from plastic to paperboard packaging have? What are the benefits of reducing the weight of paperboard? All these questions and more are answered in Metsä Board’s online impact report – an interactive, visual tool that highlights the importance of sustainable packaging.  

​During the darkest and often busiest time of the year, it’s great if we can rise above everyday life, even for a moment. 

​​There are important milestones reached in the Metsä Board Husum's pulp mill renewal project. After the new high-power recovery boiler's steel frame was installed in the summer, now it's time for another important part of the project: the new turbine installation.

​Ifolor, an international photo service company, has launched a completely plastic-free and experiential chocolate calendar that can be personalised with your own photos. After use, the calendar is easy to recycle in the paperboard collection. 

​Listening to consumers, adapting to the regulatory landscape, and embracing innovation are key factors for companies trying to reach their sustainability goals. With these driving forces pushing the packaging industry and its material suppliers towards a more sustainable future, how can and should companies respond?

​In cooperation with the German Prinz von Hessen winery, Metsä Board has developed a new packaging, which is both a gift and a transport box. Metsä Board's packaging design team designed the robust and eye-catching packaging solution at its Excellence Centre in Äänekoski, Finland.

​​The historic Wahlman log house has been successfully transported through Metsä Group's integrated mill area to a new and fitting environment in the park of Äänekoski Art Museum.

​Finnish Golf Coat Oy is launching a new golf ball packaging that, when empty, takes on a second life as an insect hotel. The innovative packaging is a result of a co-creation workshop organised by Metsä Board.

The historic Wahlman log house, which is now located on land owned by Metsä Board in the centre of Äänekoski, will be moved to a new plot in a fitting environment. Owing to a change in the city plan, Metsä Board will move the Wahlman house to the Äänekoski Museum of Art park. The company will also transfer ownership of the house to the City of Äänekoski.