The blend of material science and premium design is driving the forestry industry into lucrative packaging markets, highlighted by Stora Enso‘s recent collaboration has successfully enhanced its innovative Papira® wood foam with a luxurious, fully customizable surface finish, unlocking new avenues for sustainable product aesthetics.
At the heart of this development is Papira®, Stora Enso’s plastic-free, cellulose-based packaging foam. Derived from wood fibre from sustainably managed Nordic forests, Papira® is positioned as a direct, lower environmental impact alternative to traditional fossil-based foams like expanded polystyrene (EPS) and polyethylene (PE).
Papira’s core value proposition aligns perfectly with the burgeoning global movement toward a circular bioeconomy:
- Renewable source: Made from 100% sustainably sourced wood fibre.
- End-of-Life solution: It is biodegradable and designed to be recyclable within existing paperboard streams, simplifying end-user disposal and tackling plastic pollution.
- Performance: It maintains a lightweight, rigid structure with excellent shock-absorbing properties, making it suitable for industrial, electronic, and fragile goods packaging.
The flocking breakthrough
The true innovation lies in the cross-industry partnership that has transformed Papira’s functional surface into an aesthetic feature. Stora Enso partnered with Krekelberg Flock Products and Flocktechniek – C&B Innovations to apply advanced flocking technology to the wood foam.
Flocking is a textile engineering technique that uses an electrostatic field to propel short micro-fibres onto an adhesive-coated substrate, creating a densely packed, vertically aligned, velvety texture.
For this sustainable application, the partners utilised a cellulose-based flock fibre supplied by Krekelberg. These fibres, derived from eucalyptus pulp, are also biodegradable and produced with water-based adhesives and FSC®-certified components, ensuring the surface treatment adheres to the same high environmental standards as the Papira® substrate itself.
The application was executed by Flocktechniek – C&B Innovations, who leveraged their industrial flocking expertise to ensure a high-quality, durable, and premium tactile effect on the unique cellulose-foam substrate. This technical achievement ensures that the finish is not only beautiful but also robust enough for protective packaging applications.
Unlocking creative freedom
The flocked Papira® structure opens a significant new design space for renewable materials. Unlike many recycled or bio-based products that have limited aesthetic versatility, the flocked finish offers brands full customisability:
- Colour and Gloss: The surface can be precisely tailored to match brand identity.
- Pattern and Texture: Flocking allows for the creation of intricate 3D textures, patterns, and a soft, velvety feel.
Juulia Kuhlman, Director of Business Development at Stora Enso, emphasised the strategic importance of this development: “Sustainable materials shouldn’t limit creativity — they should expand it. This collaboration shows how Papira®’s renewable fibre structure can be enhanced for completely new surface expressions, demonstrating what’s possible when material innovation and design meet.”
This collaboration successfully challenges the long-held industry notion that choosing a sustainable, low-carbon material necessitates a compromise on high-end design, particularly in luxury, cosmetics, and electronics packaging, where tactile quality and visual appeal are paramount.
By integrating the protective capabilities of forestry-derived foam with a premium, renewable surface finish, the partnership between Stora Enso, Krekelberg, and Flocktechniek highlights a powerful model for the future of the circular economy: one where low-carbon performance and design freedom are seamlessly united in a single, innovative solution.
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