Finland-headquartered pulp and paper manufacturing company Stora Enso has replaced plastic packaging with an eco-friendly solution and launched a new cardboard packaging box designed for pellets.
With this new packaging, Stora Enso claimed that it will play a pioneering role in the pellets industry, with sustainability, innovation and customer orientation at the centre of its developments. This goes hand-in-hand with the company’s vision of creating a sustainable future by using renewable materials.
According to the company, the new premium box format offers clear advantages for households when it comes to transporting and storing the pellets. In addition, cardboard is fully recyclable, in contrast to plastic bags.
Until now, the offer to customers has been limited to pellets sold in 15kg plastic bags, 500kg bags and in bulk.
Marion LeRoy-Loikala, pellets product manager for Stora Enso explained: “Market tests have shown the exact pain points of pellet stove users. With the insights gained, we have been able to develop a completely new product that meets all the practical needs of households. The pellet box is now available in the smaller size of 12 kg – easier to carry home from the shop, easier to pour into the stove and easier to store at home. The new product is therefore sustainable through and through – our renewable heating fuel is now also supplied in packaging that can be reused or simply recycled after use.”
In the Packaging Solutions Division, specialists were involved in designing and supplying the new packaging materials for the Wood Products Division, while the graphic design of the box was developed by the Finnish branding and design agency Aune Creative.
After an extensive pilot testing phase at the Estonian Näpi sawmill, the launch will first focus on the Italian market, which is the largest European market for pellets for private households. Further customer feedback will be collected over the next two years, after which the product will gradually become available on other markets as well.
“Our main objectives are to increase our brand awareness and market share in Italy and other relevant household markets, while diversifying our customer base and contributing to the reduction of overall plastics consumption,” said Joachim Colliander, vice president and business director of Stora Enso’s Pellets Business Line. “The European demand for heating pellets as a renewable and sustainable source of energy is forecast to increase steadily by 5% CAGR in the coming years.”