​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.

​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.

​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.

​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.

​Eson Pac are pharma packaging specialists, with expertise in all aspects of producing and delivering packaging solutions for the pharma supply chain. Niklas Bengtsson, Sales and Marketing Director at Eson Pac, shares some insights into current and future trends.

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

​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.

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.

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.

​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.

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.  

​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.

​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.

​​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.

​​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.