Metsä Board develops lightweight micro-corrugated packaging for HejBuddy cosmetics brand

Metsä Board has developed a versatile corrugated solution for Finnish cosmetics brand HejBuddy using its white kraftliner, designed to provide flexibility and save space.

The new packaging is said to be 50% lighter than traditional rigid boxes made from recycled fibers. The company said that rigid boxes are traditionally imported from Asia as assembled packaging, requiring a lot of container space.

Metsä Board said its solution requires minimal storage capacity as it can be easily folded into a box when necessary. Once the packaging is used, it can be easily unfolded and recycled.

Focusing on seasonal adaptability, the packaging includes a sleeve that can be customized to suit different brand needs, aiming to provide brand owners with a versatile and cost-effective solution. Obviously, micro-corrugated boxes offer greater flexibility as small batches can be produced locally.

Niina Tuominen, founder of the HejBuddy brand, said: "We want to produce attractive and eco-friendly packaging with the environment in mind. Nature is an important value for our company and I am a member of the Forest Owners Association myself. It is important that our partners share our values ​​and the sustainability philosophy of the Metsä Board makes them a perfect match."

In April, Metsä Board launched an upgraded folding board machine at its integrated board and pulp mill in Husum, Sweden, which reportedly runs on 98% renewable energy and increases annual capacity to 600,000 tonnes. In 2023, a €230 million investment was completed to increase the mill's capacity, reportedly making it the "largest and most modern mill of its kind", and to increase warehouse capacity at the port.

We recently spoke to RWTH Aachen University as part of our Sustainability Award Pre-Finalist Interview Series, as the university is participating in an EnEWA research project with Universität Siegen, LEIPA, PROPAKMA, STADLER and TOMRA Recycling, which develops and evaluates recycled craft paper, board and paper composites. The project's recycling process was nominated in the "Commercialization Driving the Circular Economy" category, hoping to increase recycling rates and sustainably improve the environmental impact of paper production.