Stora Enso and HSMG team up for innovation and sustainable packaging

On 26 November, Finnish-Swedish company Stora Enso specialising in packaging solutions and innovative and sustainable cellulose-based biomaterials signed a strategic collaboration with HS Manufacturing Group (HSMG), a producer of plant-based barrier coatings.

Stora Enso will leverage HSMG’s PROTĒAN™ technology for food contact packaging applications.

The technology offers a biodegradable and recyclable additive that provides fibre-based packaging water-, grease- and oil-resistant properties. The PROTĒAN™ barrier technology will be applied to PureFiber, a renewable, recyclable, biodegradable and plastic free product offering from Stora Enso used for applications including single-use food service items.

The first products will be available on the market at the beginning of 2020 and will target packaging for fast food restaurants. The technological partnership aims to expand the range of sustainable packaging and tap into the fast-growing market for these materials.

In early 2019, Stora Enso planned a €5 million investment to build a new production line and related infrastructure to manufacture formed fibre products at Hylte Mill in Sweden.

Image credits: Stora Enso