Fibrease™ by Stora Enso – A recyclable wood foam ready to replace polymer-based packaging solutions
The recyclable and fiber-based wood foam Fibrease™ by Stora Enso can substitute, e.g., polymer-based foams in packaging solutions. A collaboration with Nefab has created it possible to scale up the production and extensively introduce Fibrease to the market, and consumers are already using it.
It functions well when it comes to protecting products. It’s made of raw fossil materials and is used in diverse industries worldwide. After a successful collaboration between Stora Enso and Nefab, the fiber-based material Fibrease is keen to broadly substitute polymer foams, delivering brand owners sustainable packaging solutions.
“We see a growing need from eco-conscious organizations to replace plastic-based foams with more sustainable options. With Fibrease, we can offer them that,” says Johan Tegell, Product Manager, Fiber-based solutions at Nefab.
Nefab is an international B2B company that preserves environmental and financial resources in supply chains, delivering complete packaging solutions and logistics services for its clients worldwide. Because of this, they have the engineering expertise and converting capabilities to test and help create the material supplied by Stora Enso. Nefab’s role as a development partner has been to learn how to transform Fibrease best and test it through shock, vibrations, and transport. Also, try it out with pilot customers. Through feedback and close cooperation, Stora Enso has further developed the material.
The result? A fiber-based wood foam performs similarly to PU foam but is kerbside recyclable in the paper/board stream.
Thales Group is a French multinational company that designs and manufactures electrical systems and provides services to the aerospace, defense, 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 reduce their environmental footprint further. 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 many 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.
